Whispers from the Past
by Anaica
Summary: A ghost from the past causes friction in Storybrooke. That's not the end of the visitors. Three new villains with personal vendettas. And one visitor is here for Amelia with some news from home. Past five of six.
1. What were you thinking?

**I do not own Once Upon a Time. **

**Wow, here we are, the beginning of season 4! Thank you for all your support, follows and reviews! I would not have made it this far without them. Don't forget this is a series, so please read "People like me don't deserve happy endings", "The fresh start I dreamed of", "Balancing the past with the present" and "Never going to let you out of my sight." **

**Note- Neal is alive and well. He is tri-parenting with Emma and Regina. While the show focused on the Snow Queen drama, Amelia is more involved with Marian's story and Gold's drama, she is going to be his daughter in law eventually. **

**Enjoy this story. Back to the drama.**

* * *

**_Chapter 38 of Never Going to Let You Out of My Sight_**

_Before Amelia was able to ask a single question, someone threw themselves into her arms._

_"__Bernadette, I never thought I would see you again." _

_Amelia almost didn't recognize the voice. She pulled back to see Marian standing in front of her._

_Marian was supposed to be dead, that's what Robin and Neal had told her. How was this possible? Nothing can bring back the dead._

_Then Amelia noticed Emma, who looked so guilty._

_"__What did you do?" Amelia asked, doubting she would hear a logical answer._

* * *

All Amelia Hunter could do was stare, she opened her mouth but nothing came out. How was Marian here, in Storybrooke, right now?

Marian let go of Amelia to pick up Roland. The child didn't seem to be traumatized by the fact that his mother just appeared out of nowhere.

And she clearly wasn't the only confused one. Regina just kept looking between Emma and Marian and Robin. She also looked on the verge of tears.

Emma still hadn't answered Amelia's question or Regina's "You did this?"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the diner and Amelia half wondered if Regina was going to go all evil queen on them. But it seemed running was the answer to Regina's problems and she bolted from the diner.

But Robin followed her, along with Amelia, Neal, Emma, Killian, Mary Margret, David and Marian, who still held Roland.

"Regina, wait." Robin grabbed her arm.

"No, you should be with your wife. I bet you two have a lot to catch up on." Regina tried to reason with him. Amelia could just about feel Regina's heart breaking. Could she not get a happy ending? The man she came to love was now reunited with his wife. What could she do but be the bigger person, for once.

"Robin? What's going on?" Marian asked then noticed the worried and concerned faces of everyone outside. "You care about her feelings? You all care about her? She is the Evil Queen. She is a monster!" Marian said then rounded on Amelia. "Remember what she did to Derek? Even considering being friends with her is an insult to his memory."

That comment stuck Amelia like a slap across the face. She took a step back, she felt Neal's hand on her shoulder, trying to be comforting.

"Marian!" Robin almost yelled, shocked. He knew that went too far. He was so lost at what to do first.

"I should go." Regina said before walking down the street.

Robin looked torn. Amelia had regained her composure and stepped forward. "Go. I've got her."

"Thank you." Robin told her gratefully before taking off after Regina.

"You got me? Where are you taking me?" Marian asked.

"My place, you need a bath, warm clothes, food and a real bed." It took all of Amelia's strength to be helpful. She really wanted to crawl into a corner and cry or drink, or both.

But she was going to be the better person. She felt Neal leave for two minutes, he returned with her coat. He helped her put it on, giving her a tight shoulder squeeze.

Amelia turned to Mary Margret and David. "Really nice party, thank you for inviting us. We'll see you around." Then she turned to Emma and Killian. "You are coming with us. You are going to explain this." She did not leave any room for argument. Then Amelia sped off in the direction of her apartment.

Neal walked next to Marian. Emma and Killian trailed behind.

"I didn't catch your name." Marian asked Neal.

"Neal, Baelfire, Rumpelstiltskin's son, Amelia's fiancé." Now that his father had turned over a new leaf, there was no reason to be ashamed of his family.

Marian stopped short and stared at Neal. "You're the Dark One's son? She's marrying you?" She felt bad about assuming the worse about a stranger. "I'm sorry that sounds harsh. I doubt you're anything like him."

"I'm only like him in the sense that we take care of our family. We should catch up before Amelia gets anymore out of sorts."

"Amelia? You mean Bernadette?" Marian was so confused.

"Yes, Bernadette. Don't worry, we will get you up to speed on everything."

* * *

They arrived at the apartment, Amelia showed Marian and Roland to the guest bedroom. Neal led Emma and Killian to the kitchen.

"You can put him to bed here; I'll get your bath ready and find clothes for you." Amelia tried to smile but she was torn. She left the room quickly after getting the bath ready. Now did she have anything for Marian to wear? She knew her friend well enough, no pants or short skirts. But luck would have it there one random long skirt in her closet and long sleeve top.

Marian was placing a kiss on Roland's head when Amelia walked back in. "Aright, so the bath is ready, towels are in there. Here are clothes. I'll have food ready when you're done."

Marian stared for a moment at Amelia then nodded. "Thank you."

"It's the least I can do, you had an exciting day." Amelia had a tiny smile on her face.

Marian disappeared into the bathroom and Roland shifted in the bed.

"This bed is huge." He said. "Where's my mama?"

"She's in the next room. She's getting washed up and then she will be right back out here with you." Amelia sat on the bed and pushed Roland's hair out of his face.

"Mama's back, it's like magic." He stated.

Amelia gave him a fake smile. And all magic comes with a price, she knew that was a fact. She couldn't find any words to say, so she just kissed his forehead and left the room.

Amelia stood in the hall and froze. What was going on? How was Marian back from the dead? Could anyone come back? She had to stop wondering and get real answers from Emma.

"Hey, you alright?" Neal suddenly stood in front of her. "How's Roland?

"Poor thing is overtired and confused. Imagine your mother coming back from the dead." Amelia said, forgetting who was in the other room.

"You would beat her up." Neal responded, placing his hands on her arms.

She smiled. "As much as I do not agree with any of her actions, I'm grateful, I wouldn't have met you." Neal returned her smile and gently kissed her. "But that doesn't mean she would walk away unharmed."

"And here I was thinking I tamed you."

"You wouldn't like me tamed."

"True, I wouldn't feel as safe."

"I need to go yell at your ex now." Amelia entered the kitchen to find Emma and Killian sitting on the stools. There was a bottle of opened rum and four shot glasses.

"And the pirate already has the booze out." Amelia remarked and filled one glass and quickly downed it. She slammed it onto the counter and stared at Emma. "That was you cue to start talking."

"Zelena's time portal opened and Hook and I fell through. I was thinking about when my parents met and that's where we landed. Then my parents didn't meet so we had to set everything right. I met Marian in Regina's dungeon…"

"She had no idea who the lass was, Marian did not tell us her name." Killian jumped to Emma's defense.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Amelia asked.

"She was going to be killed. I'm the Savior, I'm supposed to bring happy endings." Emma kept her voice level.

"I don't care if you're the Snow Queen, if someone is supposed to die in the past, you let them die." Amelia started pacing.

"You're a wonderful friend." There was a scoff from Emma.

"This has nothing to do with friendship. No one is unimportant, everyone has a role to play, if that part is to die, so be it. People come into your life when they are supposed to and they leave when they are supposed to."

There was silence around the table, they knew Amelia was right. She took a deep breath. "Imagine if one person overstayed their welcome. You wouldn't be here. And I don't mean in my kitchen, in Storybrooke. I'm talking mentally, emotionally you wouldn't be here.

"I was trying to do the right thing." Emma told her.

"One seemingly small change could impact the future. You might have brought a family back together but you tore a couple apart. No good deed goes unpunished." She slouched onto the counter. "We came so far with Regina. She was finally an ally; someone we could actually trust. You know you started world war three with her? All we are all dragged into it because we are family."

"Aunt Mia…" Came a tiny voice from the doorway. They all turned to see Roland standing there, almost shaking. "I had a nightmare." Amelia scooped him up in her arms and held him close. "There was a flying monkey chasing me."

"You're safe now. There are no more flying monkeys, besides nothing is going to happen to you. There are a lot of people protecting you."

"Like Gina?" He asked.

Gina? Did he mean Regina? Amelia froze. Would the possible newly reborn Evil Queen protect him? But she gave the child another fake smile. "Yes, Gina will protect you." She placed a kiss on his forehead. She locked eyes with Killian and made her way to a drawer. "An old friend taught me a trick to keep nightmares away." Amelia grabbed a pack of matches and headed back to the guest room.

* * *

Amelia entered to just see Neal in the kitchen. "I sent Emma and Killian home. You lectured her enough. She was trying to do the right thing, maybe you were too harsh." Amelia opened her mouth to say something but Neal stopped her. "You need sleep, now."

For once she didn't argue with him. She felt emotionally drained.

* * *

Neal shifted in bed much later that night to find empty space next to him. He got out of bed and quietly walked into the living room.

There was quiet crying from the couch. Amelia was sitting there, wrapped in the wolf blanket and hugging something close to her chest. He didn't say a word, she heard him and quickly wiped her face.

"Am I insulting Derek's memory by being friends with her?" Amelia barely had a voice.

Neal sighed slightly and sat down next to her. "Regina is not same woman she was back in the Enchanted Forest. She sided with us to save Henry in Neverland. She gave up Henry to protect us all. She is on friendly terms with Mary Margaret. She defeated Zelena, her own sister. But the most important thing isn't even about her, it's about you. You mastered a very important skill that took me centuries to learn." She turned to look at him slightly confused. "Forgiveness."

Amelia sighed and crawled into Neal's lap. He just held her as she softly sobbed.

She had been holding a picture frame, the one containing a sweet picture of herself and Derek. That was the first picture Neal noticed when he walked into her apartment so long ago.

"I miss him so much."

Neal didn't say a word, just ran his hand comforting up and down her back.

* * *

**And this is why I love Amelia with Neal. Was Amelia too harsh to Emma? Aww, the matches to keep the nightmares away. **

**Reviews? **


	2. Shocked we haven't killed each other

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**This is much needed girl talk between Amelia and Marian. And then some sweet family time.**

* * *

Marian walked out of her room the next morning. She had the strangest dream ever. First she was in a dungeon in the Evil Queen's castle and sentenced to die. Then she was offered to be saved by Princess Leia and Prince Charles. Next thing she knew, Marian was in a strange land with Robin and Roland. Not to mention a very confused Bernadette.

Maybe Marian was too harsh last night, with her comment about Derek. But there was no way that the Evil Queen was any different. Bernadette had to see that, right?

She followed the voices into the kitchen where she found Bernadette with Neal and Roland, who was sitting at a counter shoving food into his mouth.

"Slow down there, buddy; you're get a stomach ache." Neal said from the stove.

"But you make the best banana pancakes ever, Uncle Neal." Roland said between bites.

"Uncle Neal?" Marian said from the doorway. She got three pairs of eyes on her. "Good Morning."

"Morning. Hungry?" Neal asked, placing a plate down on the counter.

Amelia sat down, at least she looked a million times better than the previous night. "How did you sleep?" She asked.

"It was odd; it's been a while since I slept in a real bed. Uncle Neal?" Marian asked again, she was curious about that title.

"Yeah, Uncle Neal and Aunt Mia. It's easier for Roland to pretend we are all just family. We are anyway, in a sense. Eat up, Neal makes amazing pancakes."

"Syrup!" Roland said loudly.

"Roland, what's the magic word?" Amelia gently scolded.

"Please." That word earned him more syrup on his dish.

Marian looked at Amelia quite impressed. "Wow, you are going to be an amazing mother, Bernadette."

Amelia nodded with a tiny smile on her face. She pushed her sadness down and knew she had to correct her friend. "It's Amelia Hunter here in Storybrooke. Most people got name changes when the course brought us here."

Marian nodded, it would take some getting used to this new world. She sat down and cautiously took a bite of the… pancake on her plate. They were very good and she tried not to shove them into her mouth at record speed.

A knock at the door made Amelia leave the room. She returned with Robin in tow.

"Papa! I'm eating pancakes. Can we make pancakes at camp?" Roland asked.

"Of course we can. Morning." He said to the room, then his eyes fell on Marian. "How did you sleep?" He sounded polite.

"Best sleep in a while. How are you, how is… she?" Marian couldn't bring herself to admit the Evil Queen had a real name.

"Regina is… not speaking to me. The Merry Men and I have set up a camp in the forest. We aren't going soft like some people. Do you want to come there?"

She smiled. "Yes, I would."

"Actually, I think Marian should stay here." Neal cut in and everyone turned to look at him confused. "She and Amelia have a lot to catch up on."

Amelia seemed unsure but did nod. "Catching up with you would be nice. Last night was a little rough." She gave Marian a smile.

"Alright. The camp can wait a few hours." Marian said.

"Okay, Roland, get your shoes. The men are heading out." Neal told the child.

Roland jumped off the chair and grabbed his mother's hand. "Mama, did you see my shoes? They light up!" He asked cheerily, dragging her to the guest room.

Neal handed Robin a mug of coffee. "You look like hell."

Robin took it gratefully. "I barely slept. This whole thing is so… wrong. I'm happy to see Marian but she was dead. I was finally moving on and found someone new who had been hurt in love." He paused and took a sip. "She's my wife, what am I supposed to do? Amelia, this is like if Benjamin came back…"

Amelia held up hand. "Wait, this is nothing like if Benjamin came back. I killed him, we were not married…"

"You could have been." Robin said quietly.

Neal looked up at Amelia confused, but before he could open his mouth, she shot him a stern look. "Not the time for that conversation." Then she turned back to the former king of thieves. "Robin, you just have to do what is right for everyone involved. Whatever that may be." Amelia squeezed his hand.

"Right, thank you for looking out for Marian last night."

"Not a problem, she's a friend. I do everything and anything for friends."

Marian appeared in the doorway with Roland. "Papa, you ready?" Roland asked.

"Yes, I am. Let's go." Robin picked up Roland and headed to the door. "I'll be back in a few hours and we can go to the camp." He told Marian.

Neal kissed Amelia before following Robin out the door. This left Marian and Amelia alone in the kitchen.

"So… the Dark One's son? I need to hear how this happened." Marian started with an easy story, and it was the one she really wanted to hear.

Amelia smiled. "When we first came to this realm, we were all supposed to lose our memories. But I felt that I couldn't protect Derek without them, so I made a deal with Rumplestiltskin, he would let me keep my memories and I would find someone for him. I had no idea it was his son. I hatched a plan to trick him to coming here and we met. It was slow with me denying that I was having feelings for him. I had to keep it professional. But I eventually let him in and admitted that I cared about it. Next thing I knew; he was down on one knee proposing to me with his grandmother's ring."

"Can I see?" Marian asked. Amelia held out her hand. "It's beautiful."

"Then I found out I was pregnant but Neal went through a portal after an old flame of his shot him and then we all went to Neverland to save Henry. I lost the child during that trip."

"Oh Bernadette, I am so sorry." Marian went to stand next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"I had a good support system during that time. Then Neal showed up and we all saved Henry."

"Who's Henry?" Marian asked.

Amelia looked shook her head, now she had to explain the crazy huge family tree. She took a deep breath before starting that mess. "Henry is Neal and Emma's son. Up until a few months ago, either of them were in Henry's life, Emma was in jail and never told Neal, who was somewhere. So Henry was adopted by Regina. Emma, you met her last night, is the daughter of Snow White and Prince David…"

"I met Leia last night…" Marian told her.

"Leia? The blonde? That's Emma. And the guy is Killian…."

"Killian, your Killian? The pirate you ran off with?"

Amelia snorted. "He hasn't been "my Killian" in years. But yes, that's who he is. Before you ask, I'll give you the short version of that failed relationship. I betrayed and robbed him so I could get back to Derek. Killian was quite mad and abandoned me on some island. But now we are good together, he was so supportive during my pregnancy and then the miscarriage."

"You're friends with a pirate? What is this world coming to? And Henry… your step son is the adopted son of the Evil Queen? And your father in law to be is the Dark One." Marian was having issues wrapping her mind around all this news

"One big happy family. I'm actually shocked we haven't killed each other yet." She smiled at her friend, a real smile for the first time. "This was nice, catching up, like old times in the tavern with Julia and Derek and Benjamin… We should stop by Michael and Helen soon, maybe tonight." She had to correct herself. "Charles and Eleanor. I should write you a chart of everyone."

"That would be nice." Marian returned the smile.

The rest of the day was filled with laughs and food and it ended too soon. Robin and Neal returned with a tuckered out Roland. Marian then left with Robin and Roland, promising to come back soon.

"You seem so much better now." Neal wrapped his arms around Amelia.

"I guess after I got over the initial shock of seeing someone who I thought was dead standing in front of me, I accepted it. But we still have to deal with an upset Regina." She snuggled closer. "It's nice to have someone from my past, before my fall."

"About your past, what did Robin mean that you could have been married?" Neal ventured into that territory. Robin had been silent when Neal asked about it earlier.

"I said it's not the time for that conversation."

"Saving it for a rainy day?"

"No, this is a different story. And it will come before the rainy day." Amelia told him. The rainy day story was a tragedy, one Amelia liked to pretend never happened.

* * *

**I am really looking forward to the rainy day adventure, new villain and off script stuff. It will make whatever the Queens of Darkness (I have my own nickname for them) have planned. **

**Reviews?**


	3. The Enchanted Forest had no electricity

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

* * *

The next day found Amelia and Neal home alone. Marian had officially moved back with the Merry Men at their camp. Amelia was reading the newspaper and the front page had an interesting article.

"Oh look your father made the front page, in a good way." Amelia opened the paper wide on the table and Neal leaned over her shoulder. "Mr. Gold wed his True Love earlier this week in a private ceremony. The new Mrs. Belle Gold works at the library. And the family is not done expanding. Neal Cassidy, Gold's son from his first marriage, is currently engaged to Amelia Hunter, the head librarian. No date is set for their nuptials."

Gold and Belle looked so happy in their picture. So even villains, when they stopped being villains, got happy endings. It made Amelia so hopeful for her own future.

"Do you want to?" Neal asked.

"I already agreed to marry you…" Amelia had a goofy grin on her face.

"I meant do you want to set a date." Her smile faded and she stared at him thoughtfully. "I don't want to pressure you…"

"I don't mind what we have, living together, fighting evil together, we had True Love's kiss. This ring will connect us forever. So I am in no hurry to set a date."

"I just don't want anything to happen to either of us before we can make it official."

"We are heroes, and heroes always win. We can overcome anything." Amelia gently kissed Neal.

They went about their normal duties, that was until Amelia got a call from Emma.

"I need you down at the station. We have a situation." Emma didn't seem that panicked, but still any situation is a reason to worry about in Storybrooke.

"Of course we do. I'll be right there." She hung up the phone. "Duty calls, I'll see you later."

* * *

Amelia arrived at the station and found David, Emma and Killian already there. Was Killian on the force now? Not that Amelia was surprised; he was basically joined at the hip to Emma. How was David taking this whole thing: that his only daughter was with a former pirate?

At least stepping foot inside the station didn't hurt at much as it used to, Amelia discovered. Her brown eyes still went to the leather jacket hanging up. Gods above she missed her brother.

"So Grumpy was driving with Sleepy and their truck was frozen solid by someone. And there's icy footprints throughout the town. We need to find out who's behind it." Emma informed her

"Grumpy was driving?" Amelia asked, turning to the rest of the room.

"No, Sleepy was." David said.

Amelia opened her mouth to say something but ended up blinking a few times. Grumpy let Sleepy drive? Someone gave Sleepy a license? Seriously? Dopey would have been better behind the wheel. But Amelia decided to keep her mouth shut and didn't say a word.

Then the power went out, leaving the four of them in the dark. Cell phones came out for light and Amelia looked out the window. It wasn't just the station, but the whole town.

The station phone rang, Killian stared at it like it would attack him. Emma answered it

"There's a wall of solid ice surrounding the entire town." She said when she hung up. "Let's go check it out."

"All of us?" Amelia was glad she hadn't taken off her coat yet.

"No, we need someone to stay in town. Make sure the people don't do anything stupid. That's your job." David told her.

"You know that's basically like leaving the mouse in charge of the cheese, right?" Amelia asked, trying to keep a straight face. She heard a chuckle from Killian.

"Amelia, I'm serious here." David said.

"You want me to make sure they don't start a riot? Fine, not a problem. Your town is safe with me." Amelia asked, there was a twinkle in her eye.

"Yes, part of me is slightly scared."

Amelia gave him a silly salute. Then she headed home to get Neal.

"David, put you in charge of the town? I'm worried." Neal said when Amelia entered their dark apartment. He had been fiddling with the electric panel since the power went out.

"Basically I'm running around unsupervised. I know, it freaks me out too, but the possibilities are endless." A ridiculous smile grew on her face but she quickly reined it in. "But in all seriousness, David and Emma are counting on me. Gather all the flashlights and candles. I'm afraid everyone is going to want answers and something to do. So I'm thinking about organizing a game night or sorts down at the town hall."

"That sounds great. You're so brilliant." Neal told her, kissing her forehead. Then he grabbed a bag.

Ten minutes, they were on Amelia's motorcycle and they had to spread the word about the latest activity.

They spilt up, Neal went in one direction, ready to gather everyone he could find. They would meet at the town hall in thirty minutes. Good thing Storybrooke was tiny. She arrived at Gold's house first. There was already a sound glow of candle light from inside.

Gold answered the door. "Neal, Miss Hunter, is something wrong?"

Miss Hunter, really? He couldn't use her first name; they were going to be family sooner rather than later. "Power's out in the entire town, Emma, David and Killian are out investigating the cause. I'm organizing a game night over at the town hall, basically so everyone would have something to do instead of possibly rioting. And I need Belle to bring all the games you can carry and bunch of books from the library."

Belle heard her name and appeared at door. "No problem, Amelia. I'll be right over at town hall." She then ran off to get her coat.

"I'm putting you in charge of food." Amelia told him.

"In charge of food, why?" Gold asked.

"Because you put out such a nice spread for the lecture." She gave him a sweet smile. "Just light finger foods. Not real fingers, sometimes I'm not sure with you.

"We will be right over good." He returned her smile with his best happy face.

* * *

Amelia got to a dark town hall, she had attempted to get the keys from Regina but the mayor was not answering the doorbell, or the multiple knocks Amelia gave the door.

She really did not want to kick the door it, she was in charge of keeping the town in control. And breaking public property would look really bad.

Suddenly there was light from inside and she just stared. Then the door opened to reveal Neal standing there.

"Welcome to Storybrooke's first ever game night." He said, taking her hand. "Can I take your coat?"

"How did you…" Amelia started to ask.

"I picked the lock." Neal didn't even look guilty.

Amelia placed a kiss on his cheek. "I knew I loved you for a reason."

The inside of town hall was alive with people, who looked like they were enjoying themselves. Ashely was reading books to her daughter and a small group of children. Archie was winning a game of Trivial Pursuit with a few people. Ruby was trying to get a game of twister started. Julia was watching as Nathan set up Jenga. Amelia had a feeling Neal would be pulled over there soon.

"Is this what we are supposed to do all night? Play games when there's something out there trying to kill us?" Leroy said as soon as he entered the hall. He had Granny and Happy with him. Granny settled down with her knitting. Happy went to a table with his fellow dwarves, who were arguing about what game to play.

"Who said anyone is trying to kill you? And yes, I expect you to play games so you aren't bored out of your minds and do stupid things." Amelia sounded very final. She knew how to deal with people.

"If we had power, we wouldn't be bored." Leroy said under his breath before going to sit in front of a TV and stared. As if his wish would come true and it would turn on.

Amelia took out her cell phone, glad she had charged it earlier in the day. She called Robin, just to see how the Merry Men were doing.

"We are fine; this doesn't bother us. Though game night does sound enjoyable." Robin told her.

"Glad to know that someone can survive without power. Seriously Leroy is being such a baby about it. I would cut off his head if it stood just a bit higher off the ground." Amelia said into the phone.

"Be safe the rest of the night." Robin said before hanging up.

Neal walked over to her. She shook her head. "You would think all these people had electricity all their lives. We all lived in the Enchanted Forest, no electricity there. No TVs, or computers, or video games. People can enjoy themselves without modern conveniences."

"You don't know how important things are until they are gone." Neal replied.

"Don't I know that." Amelia said. Neal pulled her close and his lips found that spot on the back of her neck. "Neal…don't start something you can't finish…." She moaned slightly.

"This is town hall; there must be a back room that we can use." He whispered in her ear.

"As much as I would love the sound of that, I'm working, David put me in charge."

"You are so responsible …"

"And Granny's giving us the death stare."

At that, Neal let go of Amelia and stepped back. "She's the only one in this town who scares me."

"The sweet old lady who makes lasagna? She scares you?" Amelia giggled.

"She's sweet like you're sweet."

"But you love me."

* * *

It took a few hours, but the lights came back on. By then Ruby had somehow convinced Amelia to play one round of Twister. And they discovered that Gold was quite good at taboo. Must be his way with words. There was actually a sigh of disappointment when the lights came back on.

Everything was quickly and magically cleaned up by Gold and Amelia sent everyone home.

"Go back to the apartment, I need to stop by the loft to give David and Emma an update on the state of their town and see what happened with the ice wall. I'll see you at home and we can pick up where we left off." Amelia told Neal before giving him a teasing kiss and then walking off.

It took her a few minutes to get to the loft. Amelia knocked on the door and David answered it immediately.

"No rioting?" He asked.

"No rioting, no dead people though Leroy was getting on my last nerve. I held a game night at the town hall. It went well, I think we should cut the power more often." She stepped in and noticed a new person.

She was blonde and wore a long blue dress; clearly she was from the Enchanted Forest or at least not Storybrooke.

"Hi…" Amelia sounded worried, was this the person that Leroy thought was out to kill them? Was she behind the ice wall and the icy footprints?

"Amelia. This is Elsa. She came through the time portal with Emma and Hook." David took charge of the introductions. "Elsa, this is Amelia, she's my deputy."

It was bad enough Emma brought Marian back, but there was someone else too. Oh well, they would deal, as always.

"So what are your plans in Storybrooke?" Amelia asked.

Elsa looked at David worried. Clearly Amelia did not give off a trusting vibe. David nodded.

"I'm here to find my sister, Ana. I need her to help me control my powers." Elsa answered.

"Powers, ice powers I'm guessing?" Amelia asked, and Elsa nodded. Then Amelia noticed Emma across the room. She was in a chair covered by a million blankets and a very protective Killian. "What happened?"

"I lost control and she almost froze to death." Elsa looked guilty.

Amelia nodded and turned to Killian. "You got her?"

Killian looked up for a second. "Aye." Amelia only nodded.

"You might want to get a hold on the magic." The librarian said helpfully to Elsa.

"Trying, it's hard without my sister." Elsa told her honestly, looking down at her hands which had little snowflakes around them now. "There is still a wall of ice around the town."

"Trying is good at the very least." Amelia shoved her own hands into her pockets and forced a smile onto her face.

So one crisis was over and who knew what the next one was going to be.

* * *

**Elsa is here now! Amelia isn't going to have much to do with that plotline though. **

**Reviews? **


	4. It's where she belonged

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Just put the town back together after strange things happen.**

* * *

With Regina out of commission, willingly this time, Mary Margret had stepped up as mayor of Storybrooke. And had called a fire side chat with some of the residents at the town hall. Amelia and Neal were among them. She could count on one hand how many times she had been inside the town hall.

Neal and Amelia entered the hall and were greeted by David who was holding a sleeping Luke. Robin and Marian were also there with Roland.

Mary Margret called the chat to order and Amelia sat down in Neal's lap.

"This is hardly the time and place." He whispered in her ear.

"Only trying to make this bearable." She whispered back. It was going to be like the war council from back in the Enchanted Forest all over again. She had wanted to fall asleep during those.

"Okay, first order of business, the recent power failure…" Mary Margret started to say but was interrupted by Leroy.

"What about the ice wall that is keeping us in Storybrooke? What about the person who made it? Shouldn't she be behind bars where she can't hurt anyone? Remember she almost killed me and Sleepy?" Leroy sounded pissed.

"Elsa is a friend; she is trying to control her powers. And she did not create the ice wall." David reassured him.

But Leroy kept going, Mary Margret did not have a strong grip on this leadership thing. Amelia felt tempted to stand up and do it herself. She usually had a commanding power behind her, it had come with the bounty hunter job years ago. And her mother's skill that she had inherited, the one that allowed her to get anything she wanted.

But before Amelia was able to do anything, Robin suddenly shouted as Marian fainted into his arms.

Amelia was at her side immediately. Marian was cold to the touch, almost ice cold. As much as Amelia wanted to believe that Elsa meant no harm, something was not right here.

"Amelia, what do we do?" Robin asked scared.

"Neal, take Roland back to our place. Robin, go get Regina, this is magic." Robin left and David helped Amelia move an unresponsive Marian to a couch. "Mary Margret, send everyone else home."

Neal got a kiss before leaving. "Call me later."

Regina came into the room about ten minutes later along with Henry, Emma, Elsa and Killian.

"I didn't do this, it's not my magic. But the only way to cure a freezing spell is an act of True Love." Elsa informed them all.

Amelia swallowed hard, scared to guess what was going to happen next. Robin nodded and bent down to give Marian a kiss.

Nothing happened. And Amelia knew why but kept it to herself.

"Now what?" Killian asked.

"Dad and I are going to find out who is really behind this. You are going to protect Elsa; the residents are still going to think that she is the enemy." Emma told him before turning to Amelia. "You going to stay here?

"Yes, of course. Call me when you find something." Amelia was going to stay with her friends. It's where she belonged.

Emma and Killian left, along with Elsa.

"Is there anything you can do?" Robin asked Regina.

"Maybe, I have to consult my spell books. Give me a few hours."

Robin nodded and then Regina left to go to her vault.

Robin turned to Amelia, who only pressed her lips together. They both knew but couldn't bear to say it out loud. Robin's didn't work because he wasn't in love with her anymore. Robin Hood was in love with Regina, the Evil Queen.

The two of them sat in silence until Regina returned. She stared at Robin and Amelia, unsure if what she had to say was right for present company.

Amelia noticed this and stood up. "Robin, I'm going to check on Roland. Stop by the apartment when you are done here." She saw herself out of the town hall and went home.

She was happily greeted by Roland and then by Neal. "So what have you two been doing?" She asked Neal.

"We ate some popcorn and watched some cartoons on your laptop. I do think you need a TV set." Neal told her.

"Aunt Mia, how is my mama?" Roland asked.

Amelia bent down to his length. "Your mom isn't feeling great, but Regina is doing all she can to help your mom."

"But she's going to be ok, right?" The child asked, worried.

"Of course she is." But honestly Amelia had no idea. Right now it was all about keeping hope. "How about I read you a story until your Papa comes to get you?"

"Okay, what story?"

Amelia walked to her bookcase and took out her favorite book. Then she sat down on the couch and Roland curled up next to her. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

* * *

A few hours later, Roland had fallen asleep just as the Bilbo met the creature Gollum. Amelia knew she couldn't move without waking him up, so she just continued to sit there, enjoying the moment. And she felt eyes on her and knew exactly whose they were.

"She would be about year." Amelia said quietly. Neal looked at her slightly confused from the doorway. "I subconsciously made our baby a girl."

Neal didn't say anything, just pressed a kiss to Amelia's forehead.

A knock at the door broke the silence. Neal went to answer it and returned with Robin in tow.

"How is Marian?" Amelia asked. When Robin didn't answer right away, Amelia carefully moved Roland off of her and puled Robin into the hallway.

"The cold didn't reach her heart. So until Regna finds a cure, it's safe."

"How is her heart safe?" Amelia asked, almost nervous at where this was going.

"Regina pulled Marian's heart out."

Amelia almost took a step back in complete shock. "And I'm the insult to Derek's memory." She mused.

"It was the only way." Robin quietly said.

"I know"

* * *

**Is Marian going to be okay? **

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	5. I don't see it in your eyes

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Short chapter because a Captain Hunter scene is long overdue.**

* * *

Amelia was doing some last minute cleaning before leaving for lunch when Killian stopped by. She heard him before she actually saw him. "Remember the last time you visited me at work?" A playful smile was on her face.

"Aye, I do. It was enlightening. Do you have a moment?" He asked.

"Make it quick, I'm meeting Neal for lunch." She said, moving a pile of books off the desk.

"Is Belle here?"

"No, she takes random days off to help at the pawn shop." Amelia didn't mind, she was used to running the library alone anyway.

"Good. Amelia…" Killian started.

Amelia's eyes bugged at him and she held up a hand to stop him. "You used my name, you never do that. You prefer terms of endearment. My name is reserved for when you are concerned about me or furious at me. Killian, what's wrong?" She was very worried.

"The Crocodile gave Belle a fake dagger." Killian informed her.

Amelia stared, clearly he was still using his old nickname for Gold. "How do you know that? That it's a fake dagger?"

"After three hundred years of plotting revenge and searching for that dagger, I think I know a fake one when I see it." He leaned forward on the front desk, as if weary.

Fake dagger, so Gold had the real one. That must have been how he got rid of Zelena. Things were starting to make sense. "So that's how he did it." She mused out loud.

"You knew?" Killian seemed annoyed, eyes jetting up to hers.

"I had a strong suspicion that something was up with him. My wedding gift was a thinly veiled threat about protecting this family."

"What are we going to do now?"

"Nothing." She answered. Plain and simple.

"Nothing, you are bloody joking. You are fine with the newly reformed Dark One lying to his wife?"

"No, but sometimes you have to lie to protect people. If him keeping his dagger is a way to protect the family, better him than me. Whatever villain we might come across in the future; I can protect us without a problem but I would have to go back to my old self."

"As interesting as that self was, why do you have to?" Killian asked, curious.

"Because I don't believe you can really protect your family by being a good guy. You have to hurt people and break rules sometimes." That sounded almost as sad as her old thinking: 'people like don't deserve happy endings'.

Killian shook his head and almost touched her hand but thought better of it. "So in the likely event that something goes wrong, what do we do, lass?"

"And right back to terms of endearment? When… if things get out of hand, let me handle it."

"If that is how you want to handle this situation; I won't stand in your way." He stood up.

"Because you know better than stand in my way?" Amelia smiled at him.

He returned her smile. "Learned that lesson a long time ago." And she kept staring at him. "Can I help you with something?" He couldn't quite read her.

"I was just curious on how you go to New York to find Emma. How did you outrun yet another curse? You're good but not that good."

"I'll have you know that I am one hell of a captain." He teased her. "I got to this realm before the curse with a magic bean."

"And how did you get your hand on a magic bean? They don't exactly grow on trees anymore. Plus, they cost a fortune." Amelia asked, trying to figure him out.

"I traded something of value."

Killian was acting very secretive. "Killian, what do you have of value…" Suddenly she stopped when the answer dawned on her. "The Jolly Roger…" She breathed. Killian Jones, Captain Hook, traded his ship, his home for a magic bean all to get to Emma Swan.

"Aye, I really traded it." Killian said, knowing where Amelia's mind was going. Back to their alternate life, where he had told her he gave up the ship only to have it waiting for him in the next port in case they didn't work out.

"Wow." Amelia almost didn't have a voice. Then her head titled to one side, then the other. She was studying him intently.

"What are you looking for, lass?" He seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"I don't see it in your eyes." She answered. His eye brow rose and she responded to his silent question. "Regret or resentment." He really and truly loved Emma Swan.

* * *

**FYI- the alternate life is "If I Had Stayed". There are fun times are ahead in the next two chapters for Amelia and Neal. And what could Gold be up to? Anything with him, it's bad news. **

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	6. What did you promise him?

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**I had this scene in my head when I first saw "The Apprentice". There are fun times in this scene, just a heads up.**

* * *

What did she get herself into? Amelia Hunter thought to herself as she and Neal walked into the restaurant two nights later. She was dressed up too, very pretty green dress with mile high heels with her hair extra curly. Sadly, she was working so she couldn't fully enjoy the night. Her smile was only half fake as the waitress led them to a back table. That was after Amelia flashed her badge out of Neal's line of slight.

"Yes, this table will be perfect." She beamed. There was a clear view of the whole restaurant.

"All the way in the back?" Neal asked, helping her out of her coat before they sat down.

"It's more private there." She answered him.

"Private? What do you need to tell me?" His eyes suddenly widened, maybe understanding her reasoning. "Are you…?"

Amelia stopped him. "No, I'm not. I just wanted something a bit more private tonight." She placed her phone on the table.

"But yet your phone is out in the open." Neal joked.

"I'm still on duty, evil stops for no one." Amelia told him. And then her phone buzzed.

_"__Keep an eye open, he has two hands now."_ Read the incoming text.

Amelia stared at it confused. That wasn't possible.

"Well, looks like we weren't the only ones with date night on the mind tonight." Neal commented.

Amelia looked over the edge of her water glass to see Emma and Killian arriving. Emma looked so carefree and pretty in her casual pale pink dress. Killian was another story. He had ditched the heavy pirate leather for a modern shorter leather jacket. And to top it all off, he had two hands. Two hands, no hook.

What had he done to get that back? Did that mean that Gold had it in his shop? That idea sent shivers down Amelia's spine. Who knew what else might be in that shop.

Both Emma and Killian had first date jitters that could be spotted a mile away. But it seemed to be going well.

Amelia and Neal ordered drinks, Amelia decided to stay away from anything hard, she was working after all.

"Seriously, if you are doing a poor job of convincing me you aren't pregnant. You usually drink like a sailor." Neal reached for her hand.

"I do not drink like a sailor." Amelia threw back at him with a smile on her face.

Amelia had to split her attention between listening to Neal talking about his job and watching Emma and Killian. Her phone buzzed again. A text popped up on the screen. She rolled her eyes in response.

"Someone bothering you? You need me to beat them up?" Neal asked.

Amelia smiled. "I would pay to see that."

And her phone buzzed again.

Sighing, Amelia picked up the phone. "Smile, I want a picture of you." Neal smiled, her picture had an unsuspecting Emma and Killian in the background.

But she forgot to turn off the flash.

Which led to a very angry Savior came walking to the table. "What did he promise you in exchange for information?" Emma basically growled.

Amelia attempted to look as innocent as possible. "What?"

Neal looked up confused. "What are you talking about? Amelia doesn't make deals with my father."

"Not your father, mine." Emma stated.

_Earlier that day._

_"__Are you kidding me? David, I am not going to spy on your adult daughter on her date."_

_"__I just want to make sure that pirate keeps his hand to himself." David said. "I trust him to save us, but not with my daughter."_

_"__No, I have better things to do." Amelia turned around and started to walk away._

_"__You know your file down at the station… I can make it disappear, all of it." David called after her. Amelia froze. Her file, her entire file. "Every single speeding ticket you ever got can just go poof."_

_Prince Charming had sunk to bribery? What was this world coming to? Amelia's eyes went skyward and she sighed. "Where and when?"_

_"__Tony G's, at seven tonight. Thank you Amelia." She heard him walk away. _

_Amelia had to shake her head. "Apparently I can still be bought."_

Amelia looked like a deer in headlines and caved. "He would make my speeding tickets disappear."

"Well I have seen your pile, it is impressive." Emma shook her head.

"How many could you possibly have?" Neal asked. Amelia only shrugged in response.

"David isn't sheriff, only I can make those disappear. So you can stop. Are we clear?" Emma directed her question to Amelia.

"Yes Sheriff." Amelia replied like a child caught in the act.

Emma went back to her seat, back to Killian.

Neal continued to stare at her, shocked. "How big is your file?"

"Big enough to get me to spy on my friend. What can I say, my old self was very reckless." Amelia commented.

"Your old self?" Neal joked. His smile only widened when Amelia threw a sugar package at him.

Neal understood Emma did not need someone watching her, so he knew he had to get Amelia out of the restaurant.

"How fast can you go?" He asked, not really knowing what he was getting himself into with that innocent question.

Her eyes widened at him and there was a twinkle in them. A goofy grin grew on her face. She leaned in close over the table and teasingly kissed him. "You couldn't handle it."

"Try me." He responded.

She tilted her head to the door, smile still plastered on her face. Neal dropped some money on the table. Forget about food, it was suddenly fun time. Amelia grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her as she raced outside to her car.

No one saw Emma mouth 'thank you' to Neal, who nodded.

Amelia and Neal went to her car and she slid into the driver's seat. She had never been so thankful that she did not drink.

They buckled up and Amelia caught his hand. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

"Alright then. Hold on." She turned on the engine but went the speed limit until they were in an empty lot.

And the speed increased. Neal held on to the handle above his head for dear life. Next to him, Amelia let out a carefree laugh, which was contagious.

Suddenly they were doing doughnuts and leaving marks in the pavement. Neal glanced over and saw a triple digit for their speed limit.

Then they were heading straight for a wall and Amelia looked like she had no intention of turning to avoid it.

"Amelia…" He attempted to remain calm but there was a hint of panic in his voice.

She laughed and at the last possible moment, made a very sharp turn. If there was a hill nearby and Amelia got ideas, Neal was sure he would not survive.

After about twenty minutes of illegal driving in a safe area, Amelia finally pulled the key out and turned to look at Neal.

"I think I gave you a few white hairs." She giggled, her hand went to the hair at his neck.

"I hope you're proud of yourself. I saw my life flash before my eyes. And my life is super long." His breathing was slowly going back to normal.

"Oh, did I go too fast for you? Should I be slower next time?" Amelia asked coyly, sliding into his lap.

Neal caught on quick; his hand went around her waist. "You can do anything you want." He pulled her close for a kiss.

"Good." She said before retuning his kiss.

* * *

Amelia was curled up next to Neal later, her arm still around him. "I like the change of scenery." She had to admit.

"I knew you would."

"I feel like a teenager, making out with my boyfriend in my car." Amelia giggled.

"Well, you are not a teenager, we did a bit more than make out and I'm your fiancé." Neal placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Their tender moment was ruined by a harsh knock at the window.

* * *

**Aww, David is being over protective of his little girl and is willing to bribe a friend. Now who is the window? **

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	7. Been a while since I was in a cell

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**FYI- Amelia has an old car, hence actually rolling down the window. That's how we old people did it back in the day. **

* * *

Amelia rolled down the fogged up window to see a very angry David Nolan standing there with a flashlight. Maybe angry wasn't the right word, neither was pissed off.

Amelia turned up the charm on him. "Evening officer, what seemed to be the problem?" She beamed up at him.

"Get out of the car, now." No room for argument.

Amelia did as she was told, she was in enough trouble without mouthing off to David. She leaned against the car.

David saw that Amelia was not alone in the car. "You too."

Neal got out of the car. Amelia suddenly felt like a child who got caught in the act. But it was hard to wipe the grin off her face.

"Really, you think this is funny?" David was stuck between a disapproving parent and a deputy. "Get in the back of the truck."

"But what about the car?" Neal asked. He was better at keeping a straight face. At least one of them could.

"I'll have someone get it." David held out his hand. "Keys, now."

Amelia dropped the key and Neal opened the back door of David's truck for her before climbing in besides her.

David got in the driver's seat and started the truck. They drove down the road into town. At first there was silence. Then David almost exploded at them.

"Really, what were you thinking? Crazy reckless driving? Please tell me you have not been drinking. And don't even get me started on letting me down."

Amelia leaned forward. "David, you and I and Neal, know that Emma can take care of herself. And Killian is not insane, if he did something wrong he has us to deal with. Not sure who he's more scared of, you or me."

"Not another peep from you."

Amelia almost yelled back, but a tight squeeze from Neal stopped her. So she shut her mouth.

They arrived at the station very late that night. "Empty your pockets and leave everything here." David said before he led them into separate cells and locked the doors.

"I'll see the two of you in morning, early because I have a ton of paperwork to do thanks to you." David told them before leaving.

Silence fell over the station. Neal and Amelia looked at each other and actually giggled. Until their stomachs rumbled.

"Yeah, we didn't eat at the restaurant." Neal said.

Amelia smiled and passed a few energy bars to him. "I got your back, I swiped these off of David's desk on the way in." She opened one herself and ate. Then she looked around the cell. "It's been a while since I was in cell." Amelia mused.

Neal looked at her confused. "When were you in a cell? What did you do?"

"It was back in the Enchanted Forest. I didn't give Regina the information she wanted about the whereabouts of Snow White. I didn't even know anything about Snow so I wasn't going to be much help anyway. Then she threatened me with Richard, whom she had killed right in front of me. I spent a few hours in the dungeons before Robin saved me."

"Speaking of Robin, what did he mean with 'you could have been married'?" Neal asked. They finally had a quiet moment alone. Amelia shut her mouth and looked away. "Hey babe, look at me." His finger gently caught her chin through the bars. "We got all night."

"Remember during the lost year, when I was play fighting with Robin and that gold ring fell out of his pocket? Well, there's a story behind it. Benjamin was going to give it to me, to propose to me. He wrote Derek a letter asking permission, it was a day before I… killed him."

"What would you have said? If you hadn't… killed him?" Neal asked, part of him hadn't fully accepted the fact that the woman he loved had been a cold blooded killer at one point. He could handle her being a thief and being self-centered and doing anything for family, but murder was a different matter. But Neal kept those thoughts to himself.

Amelia titled her head. "I would have said yes at the time, but looking back, I'm glad I never got the chance. I wouldn't have been happy with him, I would have been stuck in a home as a wife and mother without my own life or even a say in my life. Does that make me a bad person?" She asked almost worried.

"No, fate works in odd ways." He tried his best to hold her through the bars but just ended up placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I wouldn't have met you if I was married. Or at least I don't think I would have. Derek might still have been in trouble…" Amelia started to think, it hurt to try to figure out the what ifs of the past.

"Shhh, you'll only confuse yourself. I think we need some sleep. Let's see if these beds move." Neal said, moving towards the cot. He pulled it close to the bars and smiled up at her.

Amelia slipped off her high heeled shoes, then pulled her own bed next to his and stretched out facing him. Their fingers laced together. "Good night." She said, he was the last thing she saw before she fell asleep.

* * *

Amelia rolled over when she woke up and was glad she half remembered where she was or she would have ended up on the floor. The cold hard floor of the Storybrooke sheriff station.

"Morning, do I even want to know how your night went?" Came a voice outside the cell. Amelia sat up to see a shocked Emma.

"Morning yourself. You can see the larger file on David's desk. But it was all worth it." Amelia stood up and stretched. That sorry excuse for a mattress did her back no favors last night. She wanted to get back to her own bed. "So how was your night? Everything went well?" Emma didn't answer but she did smile. "Good to hear."

"Now what am I going to do with you?" Emma asked.

"Well, your dad was pissed when he picked us up last night, or it might have been early this morning, I don't really know…"

"You messed up David's sleeping, you're lucky you're still alive. I'll fill out the paperwork and you can make your phone call so someone can post your bail." Emma handed Amelia her cell phone.

"Thanks." Amelia quickly dialed the bakery, she knew her family was up already. Michael answered the phone.

"Morning." Amelia greeted him then got to business. "Neal and I got into a little trouble last night and we are down at the station."

"So you need bail?" He sounded slightly disappointed. "How much?"

Amelia pulled the phone away to ask Emma who responded.

"Two hundred." Amelia answered him.

Michael sighed. "Sit tight, I'll be right there."

Amelia hung up the phone and had to laugh. "There's a first time for everything."

"Shh, he's still sleeping." Emma looked at an unmoving Neal on his cot.

Amelia shrugged her shoulders. "The man sleeps like a log."

"Don't I know it?" Emma joked but the women did share a weak laugh. Emma had been with Neal more a decade ago now he was engaged to Amelia while Amelia had been with Killian before Emma was born. Basically they had switched love interests. Fate certainly had a sense of humor.

"You know I can hear you?" Neal rolled over and sat up. "You might want to upgrade these cots. It's like sleeping on rocks."

"I'll add it to the list of things this station needs." Emma told him.

Ten minutes later, Michael walked into the station with a large box. "Morning Sheriff Swan." He opened the box and handed her a bear claw. "From my wife. We are so sorry if Amelia and Neal caused any trouble."

"They aren't in any trouble with me, my father however, is another story." Emma took the bear claw.

"What did you do?" Michael asked Amelia.

"He asked me to spy on Emma during her date and I refused until he said he could make my speeding tickets disappear. I almost went through with it, but at the last minute thought better of the whole situation."

"Well, at least your heart is in the right place." Michael pulled two hundred dollars from his pocket. "Come on, let's get to the two of you home."

"Umm, I meant two hundred each." Emma felt bad, but she did not want to deal with an angry David later.

Michael stared. But Amelia came to his rescue. "Emma, that's for me. Let me out and I'll get Neal's bail."

Emma unlocked the door and Amelia sat herself on the desk and dialed a number quickly.

"Morning, so here's the deal, Neal and I got into some trouble last night and he needs bail money." She made herself sound sweet to the person on the other end. "What did we do? Speeding and other things in a car." Then her face twisted and her lips pressed into a thin line. "I am not discussing that with you, ever. Just get down here and bail out your son. Thank you." She almost slammed the phone down and shook her head.

"You know my dad's number?" Neal almost seemed surprised.

"It comes in handy. And do not ask what he asked about." She raised a warning finger to the room.

"Have you two eaten?" Michael asked.

"Not really, just a few energy bars last night." Neal answered, walking to the bars.

"Here, help yourself." Michael held the box up so both Amelia and Neal could take something.

Gold showed up at the station ten minutes later. "Morning." He greeted the room. His eyes rested on Neal and Amelia a moment longer. What a pair they made. "How much do I owe you for my son's behavior, Miss Swan?" He asked.

"Two hundred."

"Seems like a lot." He pulled out his wallet.

"Not my doing, my dad's. You can take it up with him." Emma said, doubting he would. She took the money and went to open the cell door.

"Thank you Emma. Thanks Dad." He said. "You ready to go home? I really want a real bed." That comment was directed at Amelia who smiled. She walked back into her cell to grab her shoes.

"Thank you all for an interesting evening. I'll try to stay out of trouble and not drag Neal with me." Amelia said before leaving the station.

Emma looked at Michael then Gold, who were both shaking their heads. "You can't be mad; they are really happy together."

* * *

**I love them together. Yes, I love Killian but Amelia and Neal together is sweet and wonderful. **


	8. Have you met this family?

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Just some bonding moments.**

* * *

"Hey, your mom said I would find you here." Amelia sat next to Henry on the bench at the dock. She handed him one of the hot take away mug from Granny's.

"Hot chocolate?" He asked, taking it.

"Of course, with a boatload of cinnamon. And I have my signature latte. You haven't converted me to your chocolaty ways."

Yet." Henry gave her goofy grin and tapped his mug to hers.

"You're sounding like your grandfather there, and not the charming one." Amelia smiled then got down to the reason she came looking for him. "So, your mom went on a date with Killian, you okay with it?"

"Yeah, mostly." He took a sip.

"Mostly? You and your mom are a package deal. And Killian has enough good form to really care about your opinion of the situation. I'm just saying this because most kids want their parents to be together, so they can be a normal family." Amelia's mind went Roland, how his father was in love with the woman who wasn't his mom.

Henry turned to face her. "Have you met the family? We are not normal. My mom is the same age as her mom and adopted mom is my grandma's step mom and my dad is hundreds of years old."

"True. But seriously, are you okay with this all?"

"Mom's happy, she smiles when Killian's around. He's nice and funny. I know he wouldn't let anything happen to us."

"Okay, that's good to hear,"

"Plus, you and my dad are good together. I've know you longer than both of my parents. You're cool and you taught me how to throw a knife."

"Thank you. Henry, you have the biggest heart of anyone I know." She placed a kiss on his head.

"Please don't embarrass me." He paused, unsure about his next statement. "I got a job."

"You did, where?" She wondered if any of his parents knew? Where could he have gotten a job at the age of thirteen?

"The pawn shop."

Oh, with his grandfather. Still who knew? "How did you get that?" She never saw a 'help wanted' sign in the window. Plus, Gold had Belle helping out.

"I asked nicely." He said it so casually. Like it was normal to walk into the Dark One's shop and ask for a job.

"Well, you are his grandson, I doubt he would deny you anything." Amelia wondered if that went for her as well. Having the Dark One on your side would help in sticky situations.

"Imagine what it would be like with a granddaughter."

Amelia actually threw back her head and laughed. "I can't wait for that day. He would be wrapped around her finger."

"What day?" A new voice came across the docks. Amelia and Henry looked up to see Neal and Killian walking towards them. Amelia finally got a better look at Killian's new look, it suited him. It was still him, black leather, an earring and his charms. And, oddly enough, his hook was back.

Amelia still had to answer Neal's question. "The day we give Henry a little sister." There was a smile on her face as she winked at him. There were good days when talking about the future didn't hurt. There was hope in her voice.

Henry made a gagging sound next to her. And Killian understood his feeling. "Ready to go sailing, lad?" He asked, also wanting to leave the scene as soon as possible.

"Yes." Henry almost bolted up from his seat. "Bye Dad, bye Amelia."

Amelia and Neal heard Henry add to his statement when he thought he was out of ear shot. "If you and my mom start acting like that, I'm throwing something at you." He told Killian.

"Don't forget your life vest!" Amelia called after them.

Neal sat down next to Amelia. "So, what brought this up?"

"He's an only child. I think a sibling would be good for him. Right now we are his only hope."

* * *

Amelia arrived at work late the next day, latte in hand and saw someone in the jail cell. And she knew the person.

"Will? Will Scarlet? What are you doing here?" She sounded shocked. She hadn't seen him in Storybrooke, ever. Maybe he came over with the second curse and had been staying out of trouble ever since.

Will straightened up and stared. "Bernadette, love, long time no see. What have you been up to?" Then he noticed the badge on her belt. "You work here too? Do they just give badges out to anyone?"

"I just work here part time. Now what did you do to end up in here?" Amelia asked, putting her cup down and sitting on the desk facing him.

Will remained silent. It was Emma who answered Amelia's question. "He broke into the library."

Amelia stood up and went right up to the bars. "You broke into my library?" She growled, grabbing the front of his jacket.

"No, I would never betray our trust like that. I broke into the giant library in the middle of town." Will seemed shocked at her sudden outburst.

"My library." She clarified. Then she calmed herself down, Will was behind bars, he couldn't do anymore damage from there. Amelia sat herself back down on the desk and just stared daggers at him.

Will tried to make a safe conversation. "That pirate ever catch up with you?" He asked.

Amelia's face softened. "For your information, he did, a while ago. We are on good terms now."

"On good terms with a ruthless self-serving scum?"

"Well, I am talking to you." She grinned. "His name is Killian; he helped me through a hard time. So he's a friend."

"So I take it you know each other." Emma was listening into the conversation. Who else did Amelia have connections to?

"We met briefly…" Amelia began

"Saved her from a deserted island." Will finished.

"Wait, why were you on a deserted island?" Emma asked.

At that moment, Killian strolled into the station, his eyes saw Will and he did not look happy.

"That one abandoned me." Amelia stated, motioning her head in Killian's direction."

Emma whirled on him. "You abandoned her?"

Killian only looked slightly guilty. "She betrayed and robbed me."

Emma turned back to Amelia. "You betrayed and robbed him?" Amelia only shrugged her shoulders. "No wonder you two didn't get along."

Neal walked into the station and headed right to Amelia. "Hey babe." He kissed her.

"Get a bloody room, will you?" Will scoffed.

"And you are?" Neal asked.

"Your best friend if you let me out." Will bargained.

"Slim chance."

* * *

Well, the next few days had some big developments. Will Scarlet had broken out of jail and had been pardoned by a clueless Mary Margret. Amelia only hoped he stayed out of trouble this time. Emma and Killian discovered who was behind everything in town, and it was not Elsa. It was a brand new villain, the Snow Queen. According to Emma, the Snow Queen knew her and Elsa. But neither woman remembered her. Emma said she had found the Snow Queen on an old tape from her time in the foster care system. This led to Amelia joining Emma, Elsa, Killian and Regina in the forest to check out the Snow Queen's ice cream truck. Because apparently she had been hanging out in Storybrooke for years as the owner of the ice cream parlor. Since when did this town make any sense?

"Elsa thinks you're untrustworthy." Killian blurted out to Amelia while they walked through the forest.

Amelia shook her head. "Did she? I had thought those days were long over. Did you defend me?" Killian knew her better, he could set Elsa straight.

"I informed her that was your middle name." He said.

Amelia stopped dead in her tracks to stare at his back. Killian must have noticed she stopped walked because he turned to face her with a ridiculous smile.

"Thanks." She told him. "You had better hope no one asks me for your middle name. I have a few choice words on the tip of my tongue."

"Did you have to bring the pirate along?" Regina asked Emma, annoyed. "All you do is make eyes at him."

"I do not make eyes." Emma defended herself, poorly.

"You so do." Amelia bit back a smile.

Emma turned around to face the librarian. "You and Neal? Pot, kettle."

"Touché." Amelia gave Emma a mock salute.

"But seriously, you two always look ready to launch at each other."

"We are a bit further along in our relationship." That was completely true. She and Neal were engaged, survived a miscarriage together and had True Love's Kiss.

Emma walked up close to Amelia. "How long after you and Killian decide to try a relationship did you two…" She suddenly wasn't sure how to word it.

But Amelia understood and closed her eyes. "Jump into bed? About twenty minutes, give or take. Mind you, I'm not proud of that. But that was after three months that involved bar fights, and nightmares and fights between each other and other odd bonding moments. I think your walls are higher than mine were. Maybe one day, when things calm down around here, we'll go to the White Rabbit, get a bottle of something and I'll tell you the whole story."

"Twenty minutes? Seriously?" Emma was stunned.

"Not proud. Killian told me what he did for you, giving up the Jolly Roger. In another life, he gave up the ship for me. We were together for five years, the regret and resentment never left his eyes. Since we came back to Storybrooke, I haven't seen that."

* * *

**Amelia is always ready to launch herself at Neal. Twenty minutes, it was a hot and steamy dance beforehand.**


	9. We never got a proper goodbye

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Amelia is going to have some personal guilt. I'm sorry if this chapter makes you cry. **

* * *

Ashley had called earlier that day, asking Amelia to pick some children's books from the library and bring them to Granny's inn. Why she was at Granny's Amelia didn't asked. She liked to consider herself a good friend. So she grabbed about a dozen books, mostly the most popular ones before heading out.

Amelia entered the lobby of the inn and the sight inside made her heart break. Ashley sat in the middle of the room with Alexandria. Mary Margret had Luke, Aurora had her child and there were a few other mothers with their children. And to top it all off, there was a banner across the wall "Mommy and Me".

"You got the books, thank you, you are a lifesaver." Ashley came over to her and took the books. Amelia had no voice and she felt frozen in place. She didn't belong here, but she should have. "Hey, you alright?" Ashley had no idea what happened on the journey to Neverland. Mary Margret, on the other hand, knew exactly why Amelia was on the verge of tears. She took a step closer to the librarian.

Amelia only nodded and ran out of the inn. She still had good days, bad days and horrible days. This was a horrible day. She hid between two buildings, away from prying eyes and let out a sob. Her hand tried to silence it but her self-control was nonexistent.

Time did not heal all wounds. Who ever said that never lost someone.

Amelia only allowed herself ten minutes of pity. She dried her eyes and walked back into the street. She found a bench and just sat staring.

Her thoughts were a mess. There was no more to blame. Not Ashley, not Mary Margret, even herself. There was always fate, the scapegoat for every stupid situation. She should have learned a long time ago that fate, along with life, wasn't fair.

"Amelia?" She heard her name and looked up, Neal stood next to her and he noticed her teary eyes right away. "What happened?"

She didn't have a voice, so she just pulled him down next to her on her bench. Her head found his shoulder and his arm went around her waist.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Neal wasn't going to push for answers. Amelia would give in, she always did eventually.

"Ashley is running a mommy and me class." Amelia finally whispered.

Oh, that would make sense. Amelia was dealing well with baby Luke but a room full of new moms was too much for her.

Neal suddenly had an idea pop into his head. He placed a soft kiss on Amelia's head. "Meet me at the docks in fifteen minutes."

She looked at him confused then walked him walk away. She pulled out her mirror to check her face. She looked like hell.

Amelia only waited ten minutes before going to the docks and Henry was standing there, as if waiting for someone.

"Henry, what are you doing here?" Amelia asked when she reached him.

"I don't know, Dad told me to meet him here. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just need a hug." She said and of course Henry obliged her. Who would have thought that the Evil Queen would have raised such a good boy?

Then she saw Neal walking towards them, he was holding a bouquet of pink carnations. The sweet gesture confused her.

He reached them and handed both Amelia and Henry four flowers.

"We never got to say a proper good bye to our baby." Neal told them.

So they were going to do a make shift funeral, memorial service of sorts. All their child got was a light kiss before being thrown overboard with only one person to watch and pray and hope.

No words were spoken out loud; all thoughts were kept to themselves. One by one, the flowers were tossed into the water.

At least Amelia was out of tears. Neal and Henry on the other hand, had to wipe a few tears off their cheeks. Neal brought his little family into a group hug, Henry sure needed it. He would have been an amazing big brother. Amelia had no trouble picturing him with a little brother, someone he could teach how to sword fight and play sports with. Or a little sister, a little red haired girl who he would protect from anything, Amelia had a feeling the girl would be able to take care of herself.

Amelia was so grateful for her support system, for the family she chose for herself, or in some cases, the family that chose her.

* * *

**Family makes life bearable. **

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	10. Did I really just say that?

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**And now to make life awkward, when is family not awkward though. This is going to be funny. **

* * *

Amelia never thought she would be nervous to walk into the pawn shop. She was not scared of the Dark One. Well, there was a first time for everything. And this was definitely a first. She took a deep breath before opening the door.

The bell rang over her head as she entered. She saw Henry walking into the back of the shop with what looked like a bottle of polish.

"Good day, Miss Hunter, can I help you with something?" Gold greeted her.

Still didn't use her first name, it was getting quite annoying. But she had a reason for coming into the shop. "I think Henry's hoping you buy him a car after this."

"And why would I do that, dearie?"

"Because currently he is your only grandchild and you should spoil him rotten." Amelia did wonder what kind of father or grandfather he was. All she really knew was that he would do anything for family.

"Currently my only grandchild." Gold looked at her funny.

"There you go again asking if I'm pregnant. That's the second time." She thought back to the first time, on the phone she had called him to bail Neal out of jail. "Should I be worried that Rumpelstiltskin is constantly asking when I'm going to have a baby?"

"No, but I doubt your reason for coming down to the shop was to comment on my grand parenting skills."

Amelia swallowed her pride and extended the white flag. They had to make this family thing work. "No, I'm here to invite you and Belle to dinner tonight."

Gold looked at her, shocked, happy and grateful. "Should I bring anything?"

"Alcohol. No idea how this evening is going to end. Dinner is at six. Don't be late."

"Then I will see you later, Amelia."

Amelia's eyes widened. He just used her name, her first name for the first time ever. Maybe being all one big happy family wasn't that bad. And she was speechless. So she just nodded and quickly left the shop before the world ended.

* * *

"Hey, can you take the night shift later?" Emma asked Amelia as they were finishing up some paperwork at the station.

"Would love to, but I can't. I'm having the in-laws over for dinner." Amelia told her, then paused as the words sunk in. "Did I really just say that?"

"Yes, you did. And remember you are the only one crazy enough to marry into that family." Emma said.

"I love Neal, Belle's nice, Gold is questionable. And I don't think that man will ever not be questionable." Amelia stood up and went to pull on her jacket. "I wonder if I actually have to invite him into my house like a vampire." She mused mostly to herself though Emma did hear it and snorted into her hot chocolate.

* * *

"Your father and Belle are going to be here in ten minutes. Neal, will you stop playing with the blocks? We got those for Roland to play with." Amelia poked her head into the living room. Her hair was in disarray and she actually had an apron over her dress. When had she become so domesticated? And when did she become okay with it?

Neal looked up from the floor, there was a goofy grin on his face. But it became slightly serious when he noticed her expression.

"This place is perfect, I'll set the table, you sit down." He patted a spot on the couch. She begrudging took his advice and was rewarded with a kiss on the forehead. She took off the apron and fixed her hair before leaning her head back.

Neal was just about done setting the table when there was a knock at the door. Amelia almost bolted to her feet. Neal opened the door and standing on the other side was an uncomfortable Gold with a very happy Belle.

"Thank you so much for inviting us over. I know you only said to bring drinks, but I brought a pie also." Belle said, giving Neal a hug then giving Amelia one.

"Peach pie, nice choice. Thank you." Amelia said, smiling. Then her eyes went to Gold. He hadn't stepped inside yet.

"Dad, you can come in. Take off your coat, stay a while." Neal told him.

That's when Gold finally walked inside. He looked around the room. He had never been in Amelia's apartment before, the library had been a completely different place.

"Dinner will be on the table in five minutes. You can sit at the table or on the couch until then." Amelia told the two of them.

"The couch is fine; do you need help with anything?" Belle asked.

"No, we are good."

Neal and Amelia bought the food out to the table, a platter of chicken accompanied by mashed potatoes and a bowl of corn. Amelia then stared at the spread.

"Oh no." She said under her breath.

"What's wrong?" Neal asked, was something missing? Or overcooked? What could she be worried about?

"It's monochromatic." She stated simply. It was true, all the food was beige.

Neal tried not to laugh as his arms went around her waist and his face went into her neck. "Only you would worry about something like that. It looks amazing and I bet it all tastes amazing too." Before Amelia could say anything, Neal called the rest of the family to the table.

The four of them were seated at the circle table.

"Dearie, this looks very good. Thank you again for inviting us over." Gold praised her. "Oh, I almost forgot the wine." He snapped his fingers and a bottle of wine appeared in his hand. He opened it and began pouring some out for Amelia, Neal and Belle.

"Look, color." Neal jokingly said about the red wine in his glass.

Amelia shook her head but couldn't help to stop the smile that was growing on her face. Belle and Gold were confused about the context of Neal's comment.

"He's making fun of me. You are so lucky I love you. Most people would never. What's the saying? Dead man tell no tales?" Amelia said. Then her eyes went to Gold's empty wine glass. "You're not drinking?"

"Sadly, I'm not. My father was a drunk hence I never touch the stuff." He explained.

"Oh, that's a good reason." Neal said quietly. They all knew Gold's father, Peter Pan and how much trouble he had caused. Amelia had to thank her lucky stars he was dead, having him at these family gatherings would be awful.

They ate with some light conversation. For once in her life, Amelia had held back with her spices. The things she did for family.

"So, Belle has your dagger now? So she's in control?" Neal said to his father. "That's really big, letting someone have power over you. I know I said this already, but I'm really proud of you."

Amelia kept her eyes off of Gold. She knew the dagger was fake, but having Gold know that was the last thing she wanted.

"What would you do if you had the dagger?" Neal now directed that question at Amelia.

She paused and stared at Gold, her mind trying to come up with something. If she had complete control over the Dark One, what would she have him do? What did she want?

Amelia came up blank. "Wow, I really have matured. I can't think of a single thing." Her response surprised everyone, including herself.

"What if there was an all controlling dagger for me?" Neal asked.

A coy smile grew on Amelia's face. "I have a few ideas but I'm going to plead the fifth on that one because your father is here." If there was one thing Amelia loved, it was making the Dark One uncomfortable.

Gold shifted in his seat. Belle, on the other hand, thought their love was pure if not a bit crazy.

"You two are so cute together." She told them.

Dinner was finished, dessert was served and everything was cleaned up. It was an evening that went well. There were hugs at the door. And then Neal and Amelia were left in an empty apartment.

"Now that my father is gone, what would you do with an all controlling dagger?" Neal whispered in her ear.

Amelia didn't say a thing; instead she dragged Neal to the bedroom

* * *

A day later, Amelia felt the need to visit Derek, she had been so busy to make time to leave some flowers on his grave. She wanted to tell him how good her life was going. Although she had a feeling he was watching over her.

At the cemetery she saw an odd person, Robin.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Amelia asked confused. His hair was a mess and he had been coming from the direction of… Regina's vault. Then it dawned on Amelia. Robin had been… busy… with Regina last night. "Oh, umm." She was having issues forming words.

"Please don't say anything to the Merry Men." Robin said, pleading.

"My lips are sealed." Amelia promised. She watched him walk off and then she herself walked in the direction of Regina's vault.

She knocked and only waited a moment before going down. She had never been inside the vault, actually she never had a reason. It was only recently that the former bounty hunter was on friendly terms with the former Evil Queen.

"Regina, you down here? It's Amelia." She called down. No answer. So she kept walking. She walked through a door and finally saw Regina. Hair disarrayed and not all the buttons on her blouse closed. This was a new side of Regina.

"What are you doing here, Miss Hunter?" Regina asked, sounding annoyed.

Well, someone had to call her 'Miss Hunter'; her life wasn't complete without it. "I ran into Robin outside…"

"What of it?" Regina looked caught between happy and scared that someone found out.

"Is it real?" Amelia was thinking about her friends, both Robin and Marian. "I'm asking because Robin is my friend, more than a friend actually. Like an older brother to me. I know you're not the same woman who slept with Derek but I don't want Robin to get hurt. Also I don't want you to get hurt either."

Regina stared at Amelia, shocked at her words. "You care if I get hurt?"

"You're my friend Regina, being Henry's other mom and all."

"It is real, pixie dust showed him as my True Love. I'm finally taking a chance and trying to be happy." Regina told her.

Amelia nodded, she knew the power of pixie dust. "Then I'm going to do something that I might regret more than anything I have ever done in my life."

Amelia stepped forward and hugged Regina.

Regina froze. "Are you feeling alright?

"Yes." Amelia let go of Regina. "Mary Margret doesn't understand what it's like to love someone you might lose. She and David are each other's one and only. They are a true fairy tale."

"You and the pirate I'm assuming."

"Killian was not my first. Benjamin was sweet and kind and perfect for a first time. Then I ruined it all." Amelia looked away.

"How did you ruin it?" Regina asked curiously.

"I killed him."

"That would ruin a relationship." That was their first bonding moment.

* * *

**Family dinner! "Do I have to invite him in like a vampire?" And a bonding moment with Regina. She is really a friend now. **

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	11. Where would she be safe?

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Sadly, this chapter was annoying to write. But the next one will be good.**

* * *

Amelia and Neal more or least stayed out of Emma's way as she continued her search for the Snow Queen. They watched after Henry and Roland when it was needed. The two boys were so cute together. Amelia was right; Henry would be a great big brother.

Somehow the Snow Queen got herself caught because she wanted a quiet moment alone with Emma. Seriously, there were easier ways of getting moments like that.

She got under Emma's skin, causing the Savior to blow a hole in the wall of the station. Amelia wondered how that was getting fixed and paid for. The action freaked everyone out, including Emma's own parents and Emma did what she did best, run.

Henry even went to look for her. He found and got hurt in the process, sadly. This was not like Emma at all. She always protected Henry no matter what, against every villain since arriving in Storybrooke.

Amelia and Neal found themselves at Mary Margret and David's loft, they were discussing their daughter with Elsa.

Amelia had agreed with Killian, that Emma couldn't go that far with the ice wall still surrounding the town. And maybe some alone time would be good for her. This Snow Queen had suddenly made the whole situation very personal. Personal was never good.

Regina even stopped by, but it was more for Henry than Mary Margret or David. Henry needed his mom and at least he had choices.

But Emma did contact her parents eventually, after having made an important choice about her life. One that her parents felt obligated to back her up with while Regina thought they were taking the easy way out. Emma found a way to get rid of her magic, no word on how exactly. Regina had argued that Emma's magic was a part of her and getting rid of it was stupid.

"Emma's magic is very unpredictable; she can't control it. But for once I agree with Regina." Amelia put her two cents in.

"You seem to know a lot about magic." David commented.

Amelia gave him a half smile and twisted her hands together. "I'm the librarian, I read a lot."

Mary Margret and David saw the light and knew they had to get to their daughter before she did something she might regret. Killian went with them; Amelia saw a very worried look in his eyes before they all departed the loft.

Amelia still had to babysit one kid, Roland back at her apartment while Robin stayed with Marian, so she had Henry go with his grandparents. She gave him a hug and told him to call her later.

It was much later that night, Amelia and Neal saw fireworks in the sky at the far end of town. Could this be Emma losing her magic or finally accepting it? It took a quick phone call to Henry to find out all the details.

Emma still had her magic, it was Elsa who had convinced her to keep it. That was their bond, one that no one else in the town understood. They both had an uncontrollable power that made them special but also set them apart from their family members.

But the town was far from safe, both Elsa and Emma now had enchanted ribbons around their wrists. They were connected to the Snow Queen whether they wanted it or not.

* * *

"She is going to try and destroy us all." Mary Margret told Amelia over the phone the next day. "Ingrid, the Snow Queen, is going to enact the curse of Shatter Sight. We will become the worst versions of ourselves. Basically the whole town will turn on each other and there will be no one left in Storybrooke expect for Emma and Elsa. Ingrid wants her perfect happy family."

Amelia sighed and pinched her nose. Of all the curses they had dealt with, this one had to be the worst. "Ok, what do we do?"

"Everyone has to stay separated from each other until Emma can find a way to stop it."

"Alright, sounds like plan." Amelia said, ready to hang up.

"Amelia, take care of yourself." Mary Margret said, there was some worry in her voice.

"You too." Now Amelia hung up and looked over at Neal, who had been listening next to her. Worst version of herself? A bounty hunter who killed people and ruined lives with no thought for anyone but herself? She had to listen to Mary Margret's advice and go somewhere safe.

He pulled her into a tight hug. "Go, you of all people should not be wandering the town or near people. I will see you when this spell breaks. Emma will find a way."

Amelia bit back tears. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Then she forced herself away and left the apartment.

* * *

Now where could she be safe? Her apartment was her first safe place, but Neal would be there. What kind of things would she say or do with him around? Then there was the forest, but not the best choice at the current moment. There was always the library, her first safe place in Storybrooke.

As she made her way down the streets of Storybrooke, she pulled out her cell phone. She had a few last minute 'I love you's to say.

Michael answered the phone.

Amelia wasted no time, she had no idea when the curse would hit. "It's Amelia. There's a curse coming, one that will transform us all into our worse selves. I need you all to stay apart until it ends. I'm going to protect myself. I love you, all of you so much. You were always there for me and I am so grateful."

"We love you too, sweetheart. Go protect yourself." He knew there wasn't much time and he would pass the message along.

* * *

Amelia entered the library and locked the door behind her. The keys went next to the door on a table. A pair of handcuffs came out of her jacket pocket and she searched for a good spot to attach them to. Something immovable, she knew there were a few book cases that were bolted to the floor. She had an idea of how horrible she could be, even she didn't want to be around her like that.

* * *

**SHATTERED SIGHT! FUN TIMES!**

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	12. This is getting out of hand

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**So shattered sight is going to make interesting people and combining a bounty hunter will just about anyone is scary. **

* * *

Amelia Hunter was as prepared as she ever would be. She had already moved a table to the bookcase so she would be comfortable. She had one hand handcuffed to a bookcase. No one needed a bounty hunter out in the streets. Shattered slight would bring out the worst in everyone. There were the dwarves and the regular townsfolk. What were they like on a bad day? She thought of Robin and Will Scarlet. What about Killian, would he become a true ruthless pirate again? There were Mary Margret and David, did Snow White even have a dark side? Well, she had murdered Cora, so nothing could be put past her anymore. Would David become like James? Then there was Ruby, she was a part wolf. If Emma didn't find a way to stop this curse, the town was doomed.

Then the shards of the curse came, rained down from the ventilation system. Amelia stared up at it, unafraid. Emma would find a way to stop it; she was the Savior after all. The shards entered her eyes and they closed.

Then something changed in Amelia, it was like a light switch. She opened her eyes and looked around the library disgusted. What kind of crappy life was she stuck with? Crappy life where she was alone, Derek was dead. The Evil Queen killed him. She was going to pay for all the pain she had caused. Amelia was going to make her wish for death when she got her hands on her.

Amelia struggled against the cuff. She needed out. But the cuff held tight. Where did she put the key? Why was the bookcase made so well? Why didn't she have a dagger on her? Or even a hair pin?

She let out a strangled yell as she fought. And of course when she got angry, she threw things. The only things that were in reach were books so they were flung across the room. This stupid life in this stupid world.

Amelia felt whole and broken at the same time, if that was even possible. She was cruel and heartless. She was a hopeless case. Derek was gone, she was alone. No one understood her; no one would stand beside her, ever. Amelia's eyes fell to the emerald ring on her finger. Neal, the Dark One's son had said he loved her and promised to be with her forever. But she doubted the apple fall far from the tree. Besides, no one trusted the Dark One, why should she trust his son. She was unlovable. He didn't love her; she had failed him with their first child. No one loved a failure and a murderer.

She tore the ring off her finger and flung it across the room. She didn't deserve him; she didn't deserve anyone.

Then there were the terrible things she did at home. She had sided with, well worked for was a better word. But the reward was enough and she was promised more later. When he succeeded, she would be restored to her rightful place.

The sudden noise at the door made her stop her struggle. Were the townsfolk coming for her blood? She had done horrible things in her past. The door had been locked but the figure on the other side quickly picked it. It opened and there stood none other than Killian Jones.

Amelia swallowed hard, she shouldn't have been surprised. If there was one person in this town she wronged, it was him. And he had wronged her equally as bad. Anything he said to her, she would willingly throw back in his face.

"Well speak of the devil, did you come to taunt me?" She growled with a cruel smile on her face.

He just stood there, looking at her and keeping his distance. "No, I came to take you to a safe place." Killian answered, his voice void of emotion.

"Like a deserted island?" She got a hold of another book and flung it at him. He skillfully dodged it. How was he staying so quiet and calm? Why was he not yelling at her or have his hook up to do damage? Did this version of him still believe in good form? Would he not attack a captive woman? Did he need her to be free to put them on equal footing? Was he going to release her? But he made no move to come any closer to her. Did she have to egg him on? "I hate you Killian Jones! I opened myself up to you, in more than one way and how do you repay me? Leaving me on some God forsaken island to rot! But then you found me in Storybrooke and I thought maybe we could be together. But no, you replaced me. Sure she's beautiful and a princess and the savior but she's get just getting my sloppy seconds!"

Still no back comment, no defending of Emma. Killian just stood there, taking every mean spirited word she threw at him. He looked like he was missing a part of himself.

"You never loved me, did you? I was just convenient, wasn't I? Just another notch on your head board! Want to know something?" She struggled against the cuff again. "You were just a job, a means to an end!" She screamed.

How he continued to remain silent was beyond Amelia. So she leaned back on her table to look at him. "So I was right, you are a sad sorry excuse for a pirate." She said cruelly.

"Maybe my heart isn't in it." Killian said sadly.

"That rotted old thing, I doubt it even works anymore." She shook her head.

Killian let out a sigh and dropped a statement that he prayed she would understand. "Lass, it's getting out of hand." He maintained his distance

She stared at him, confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"When this curse passes, you'll understand." And he left the librarian struggling with her bonds.

Getting out of hand… getting out of hand? The only thing that was getting out of hand was her anger. She needed to do something with it. She needed to get out and break something or hurt someone. At the moment she really didn't care who.

Then something cold touched her shoulder. Amelia looked up, how the hell was it snowing inside the library? Then a sense of calm came over her. Snow, the snow queen. Did this mean Emma broke the curse? All of her anger melted away, she actually giggled at the pun she just made in her head.

So that was the curse of shattered sight? It wasn't so bad. She had remained calm and secure in the library, she didn't kill anyone, or injure anyone. But now that it was over, she had to get to Neal.

Suddenly the cuff was opened and Amelia got to her feet. Then she stared at the hand cuffs, how had they opened? She had a very bad feeling about how but not why. But she had other things that were more pressing. Amelia bolted out of the building. There was the entire town out in the street everyone rejoicing and not killing each other. There were some sights in her life that Amelia still couldn't get used to, people being happy and rejoicing was one of them.

She saw Emma was reunited with her family. So of course the Savior broke the curse, why how exactly? But that conversation could wait, Amelia had more important issues to deal with.

She ran home and picked the lock on the door to her apartment. It opened and Neal was right there, already pulling her into his arms before she entered.

"I love you so much. The horrible things that went through my head during the curse…" He kept saying into her hair.

And she just held him tight. "I know, I know. We were cursed, we are not responsible for things we say and do while cursed. I love you too, so much."

* * *

**So, her handcuff broke, like magic. Umm, is something else going on? Should we be worried? **

**Reviews?**


	13. Fate has a sense of humor

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**FYI- "Getting out of hand" is code for "Crap is about to hit the fan".**

* * *

Amelia spent the rest of the day with Neal, but they knew they were going to have to find out from Emma how she had stopped the Snow Queen. And with Snow Queen gone, would Marian be saved now?

They met up at Granny's.

"So how did you save the day this time, Savior?" Amelia raised her latte to Emma in thanks.

"It was a joint venture. Myself, Elsa and Anna, that's Elsa's sister…" Emma began the story.

"Elsa found her sister? Good for her." Amelia said, so happy for a reunited family.

"Ingrid had a change of heart after hearing a letter that her sister, Elsa and Anna's mother, wrote. It said she was sorry for trapping her in an urn and how she was just scared. She truly loved her sister and wished things could have been different. So Ingrid stopped the curse herself…"

"She sacrificed herself? Wow."

"Yeah, that's one word for it. Now we have to get Elsa, Anna and Kristoff back home." Emma stated.

"Wait, who's Kristoff?" Neal asked, trying to follow the story.

"Sorry, Anna's fiancé'. They came over here with a wishing stone."

"Wishing stone?"

"It's a stone that you can wish on and it will grant your wish. They aren't as rare as homing stones though." Amelia informed them, instantly wishing she had kept her mouth shut. Her knowledge would only lead to other questions.

But clearly both Emma and Neal had other concerns. "How are they going to get home to Arendelle?" Neal asked.

"Not sure yet, we are working on it."

Then Amelia's phone rang, it was Robin. She quickly answered it. "Hey, how is she?" There was silence then a sigh of pure relief. "Alright, I'll meet you over there." She hung up the phone and turned to Neal and Emma. "Marian's fine, Regina stuck her heart back in. I'm meeting them at the duck pond." Amelia gathered her coat, kissed Neal's cheek and left Granny's.

* * *

She ran to the pond; she couldn't believe her friend was fine. This reunion was going to be much better than the first one they had.

Up ahead, Marian was feeding ducks with Roland while Robin was sitting on a bench with Regina. Now what would become of that relationship? Amelia was worried but just wanted all parties involved to be happy.

"Aunt Mia!" Roland called when he saw her. Marian had a bright smile on her face as Amelia came closer.

"How are you today, having fun feeding the ducks?" Amelia asked Roland as she hugged him. Then she turned up to Marian. "How are you feeling?"

"Amazing, like I took a very long peaceful nap." Then her eyes rested on her husband and the Evil Queen. "I told him I wanted to be chosen."

"What?" Amelia asked confused.

Marian sat down on the grass and Amelia took a seat next to her. "Robin has lived by a code of honor his whole life, that code tells him that he has to be with the mother of his child for the sake of the child. Even if he is unhappy. It's not that he doesn't love me anymore, but he moved on after my death. That's all I ever wanted for him, not to dwell on the past, but hope for a loving future with someone else. Did I ever think that was going to be the Evil Queen…"

Amelia laughed. "You learn really quick that fate has a sense of humor. So you're really okay with them being together?"

The two women looked over at Robin and Regina. "Look how happy he is." Marian whispered. Robin looked over the moon happy.

Amelia smiled and turned back to Marian. "What are you going to do now?"

Marian looked at her oddly. "I wasn't always Mrs. Robin Hood you know, I had a life before I knew him. Amelia, every princess has a story before their met their Prince Charming. We are not defined by our partners."

Amelia certainly had a life before meeting Neal or Killian and even Benjamin. She squeezed Marian's hand. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're very wise and understanding?"

"No, you should do it more often though." They both laughed and then Marian became serious. "I want to open up a dress shop."

"And be a business woman? That sounds great. I'm here for anything you need."

"I know; you are a very good friend."

* * *

Much later that day, after the sun went down, Amelia found herself wandering the streets of Storybrooke, looking for empty building or storefronts. She would prefer one close to the library, just so Amelia could keep an eye on Marian. Or even close to the bakery. Just friends looking out of each other.

Then Amelia saw Killian walking out of Granny's. She stopped dead in her tracks. She should go over to him, during the curse, she had said some things that beyond cruel. She should apologize, be the bigger person for once.

"Killian!" She called out to him, he stopped but didn't turn around until she was right behind him. Was he mad at her? "Hey, so during the curse, I know I said some things…

"Don't worry about it, lass. We were cursed." He gave her a forced smile.

But she kept talking. "But the things I said, I shouldn't have, shouldn't have even gone down that road. They were uncalled for…" She had never felt so guilty in her life. And that was saying a lot.

"Lass, you were under a very powerful curse. You can't be held responsible for your actions." He still sounded so dead pan, as if not only trying to convince her, but also himself.

"So are we ok?" She looked up at him, almost pleading for forgiveness. What was going on?

He nodded, again that forced smile. "Of course. I have your back."

"Okay." Something about this felt wrong but Amelia couldn't put her finger on it. So she nodded and started to walk off.

_Getting out of hand… getting out of hand._

Then she froze and it clicked inside her head. She whirled around. "Killian, during the curse; you said things were getting out of hand."

Finally, a break in his emotionless exterior, a weight seemed to be lifted from his shoulders. She understood his clue. "Aye."

Gold, Gold was planning something awful. He was lying to his wife and his son, he had his dagger, and it had nothing to do with protecting the family. It had to do with one person, himself. There was no telling what he would do or how bad it was going to be.

Amelia shook her head. "I'm going to kill him." She growled. She had warned him about testing her loyalty. She stormed away and would have gotten farther if she had not disappeared from the street.

* * *

**CLIFFHANDER! Because I am mean like that. **

**As you can see, Marian is fine, hence Robin is not leaving. It broke my heart to see him leave. **

**Reviews?**


	14. You're playing with fire

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Interesting, not a single curse word from Amelia during Shattered Sight, Can she keep that up with someone who truly gets under her skin? Don't hold your breath. **

* * *

Suddenly Amelia was in the back room of the pawn shop with no pounding headache. She spun around a few times to convince herself was actually there. What was she doing here? She ran to the doorway but was flung backwards.

Confused she picked herself up and carefully touched the… magical barrier. What was going on here? Was she trapped here and if so, why?

Gold appeared on the other side of the barrier. He looked too smug for his own good. And he had to get the first words. "Is ducking still the only thing you can do?"

That got Amelia's undivided attention. She leaned against and gave him an unreadable look. "Want to test that theory? I dare you."

Gold didn't move, he was going to take his chances.

"What the hell? Gold, what are you doing?" She tried to stay calm but she could feel her blood begin to boil.

"Well, to tell the truth, I really enjoyed family time, Miss Hunter. So much in fact that I am going to make it permeant. Myself, Belle, Henry, Neal and you. Though given our history, I was considering leaving you behind but Neal would never forgive me. So you are tagging along on our family trip to New York City." Gold informed her.

What was he going on about? Taking them out of Storybrooke? "Belle won't be happy about that, neither will Emma or Regina if you're planning on taking Henry."

"Miss Swan wouldn't be a problem." Gold replied.

"You're leaving something out. Like about your fake dagger." Amelia spat. He gave her an odd look. "I'm not stupid."

Gold looked at her, slightly confused then realized how she knew that. "That pirate picked up Snow White's habit of not keeping secrets. You just sealed his fate. But if you are so curious about that, I found a way to free myself from the power of the dagger. I have been told that I can't have everything, my family and my power. I am going to prove them all wrong."

"You're playing with fire, Gold!" She yelled. Did he actually hear what was coming out of his mouth? "You're just going to get burned in the end."

"I was hoping that the curse of Shattered Sight would get rid of everyone in the town, but Miss Swan had to be the hero. No matter, my plans wouldn't change. We are leaving for a fresh start. And when I say fresh start, I mean new memories. So we can be a happy family."

New memories? For Amelia, that was the last straw. Her memories were the most important thing to her, she had made a deal with him to keep them only because she had no choice. Amelia banged her fists on the barrier. "You son of a bitch!" Her hand then found a coat rank next to the door and she swung it like a lance. No one and she meant no one was going to take her memories. "You worthless piece of shit! Do you not understand how good you have it?

"Miss Hunter, your language would make our resident pirate blush." Gold was still confident. "And I was under the impression that the curse of shattered sight was broken. I hoped you would be easier to handle."

"I don't need a curse to want to hurt you. Is this why you kept asking if I was pregnant? Wanted to know if you had to set up a nursery?" She screamed. Now she started to throw anything she could get her hands on. Books, plates, boxes, all met the barrier. The vase, on the other hand, bounced back and Amelia had to duck to avoid getting hit. "Coward, you can't even face me without some form of protection!"

Gold's face morphed into complete rage. For a second, Amelia feared for her life. But a moment later, he controlled it. "Don't get too comfortable, we are leaving soon." Then he was gone.

Amelia had to get out and warn Neal and Belle and everyone in town. So much for the Dark On turning over a new leaf. So she started doing the only logical thing, throw her entire body weight at the barrier. Her plan was to weaken it.

Amelia had no idea how long she kept intentionally hurting herself. Her shoulder was on fire. Suddenly the barrier fell and she made very good friends with the floor. So this is how Killian felt most of the time.

Amelia picked herself up and ran out of the shop. She was disoriented and just spun a few times in the middle of the street. Then Neal saw her and ran to her before she fell to the ground.

"Amelia, where were you? What happened?" Neal asked, concern and worry written all over his face.

"Your father went bat shit crazy!" Then she yelped in pain. There was something wrong with her shoulder.

Mary Margret was at her side in an instant. "Amelia, your shoulder is dislocated, I need to pop it back in."

So that's where all the pain came from. "Have you ever done that before?" Amelia's eyes widened in horror.

"No." But that didn't stop Mary Margret from grasping Amelia's shoulder and popping it back into place.

The words that came out of her mouth made Neal let out a sigh. "Life with pirates?" He asked. "Now tell me exactly what happened."

"Gold found a way to free himself from the control of the dagger and he was going to take the family out of Storybrooke for a new life." Amelia still had some control over her emotions.

"Like hell he was." Came a voice behind them. Amelia looked over to see Michael standing there; she had never seen him so protective of her.

"Daddy…" Now she barely had a voice. Michael froze at the word that came out of her mouth. Amelia had never called him that ever in her entire life. He took a step closer and she flung herself into his arms.

Amelia Hunter just needed to be held.

A few moments later, Emma, David and Killian showed up on the street.

"Did you find Gold?" Mary Margret asked anxiously.

"Yeah… Amelia, you okay?" Emma noticed Amelia was silently sobbing into Michael's shoulder.

"I'm going to take her home, just make sure that demon pays for what he did." Michael said. Amelia nodded to reassure Emma.

At least her legs still worked, or she was pretty sure Michael or Neal would have carried her home.

* * *

**Never come between Amelia and her family. And she can do more than duck? What is going on? **

**Reviews?**


	15. All the wrong things

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Reminder, Amelia was just released from a magical prison and is now safe with Michael and Neal.**

* * *

"I don't want to go home yet." Amelia whispered. She wasn't really to be alone in the quiet just yet. Quiet meant time to think and remember the horrible moment she almost lost everything.

Michael and Neal almost argued against it but decided to listen to her. They led her to Granny's and sat her in a booth.

"Can I get a…" She almost finished her request for a latte but Michael cut her off.

"You're having a tea; it will calm you down. Neal is going to stay with you, and I am going to get Helen." Michael kissed her head before leaving.

Neal pulled off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Though she wasn't cold per say, she welcomed the warmth and his scent. Then he walked to the counter.

Then the door was flung open and Belle stomped in. She saw Amelia and sat across from her in the booth. There was an uncomfortable silence between the two women.

"I found his dagger, the real one. He was lying to me the whole time. All he ever wanted was power, nothing else mattered. Not me, not even Neal." Belle was caught between wanting to burst into tears and wanting to break something. "I banished him, ordered him using the dagger, he can never come back to Storybrooke."

Amelia looked at Belle, shocked. Sweet, innocent, glass is always half full Belle, who had always seen the good in people, finally took a stand for herself. She finally saw she deserved better.

"I kept ignoring all the signs. I finally saw the monster that everyone else saw." Belle went on.

"I'm proud of you and shocked." Amelia said, maybe she could help Belle. She had saved her the trouble of hunting Gold down herself in a few days.

"You're proud of me? He said you knew about the fake dagger. You didn't think it was a good idea to tell me?" Belle actually snarled, which had to be the scariest thing Amelia had ever heard.

Amelia was taken back, did Belle think she was in on the plan? "I had no idea what he was planning. I thought it had to do with keeping this family safe from the Snow Queen. I never asked for details."

"So lying is fine when it protects the family?" Belle asked, annoyance in her voice.

"Yes, you can't fully protect a family by being a good guy." Amelia reasoned. She firmly believed that, no matter how bad it sounded. "Zelena had it coming to her, I just wished I had been involved with that one." She felt her bounty hunter attitude creeping into her voice and she didn't fight it. "And there is something else I want to say, but I'll wait for a rainy day. I can be the nicest person you will ever meet, but you mess with my family, I will make your nightmares look like a happy place."

Belle just stared, and then shook her head. "I thought you had changed."

"Hate to break it to you, but I am not some villain who went all goody two shoes for the person they care about."

And of course Neal had to standing right by the table with her cup of tea at that moment. His face was sad with a little bit of disappointment. Amelia met his eyes for all of two seconds before he placed the cup down and walked out.

"Neal?" She attempted to get up to follow him but a strong hand went to her arm, stopping her.

"Let him go, he needs to process that line from you." Nathan told her quietly, he had been sitting in the booth behind her.

"I could have handled that better, couldn't I?" She said to him as she watched Belle follow Neal out of Granny's.

"Yes, you could have." Nathan replied, there was a slight edge to his voice.

This was the last thing Amelia needed. She heaved a heavy sigh and dropped her head to the table.

Then Helen joined her at the table, she looked like she wanted to fold Amelia into a rib crushing hug but Amelia didn't need that right now. The Dark One's failed plan was the least of her concerns now.

"I'm going home, there isn't enough tea in this town to calm me down. I'll give you a call tomorrow." Amelia stood up, keeping Neal's coat around her shoulders. She was careful not to leave any room for argument.

It was just another argument that Amelia and Neal had to overcome together. Amelia headed home, hoping to find Neal there. But sadly, he was not. Should she go looking for him? Where would he be? Maybe the White Rabbit? Not really the place Amelia wanted to be in right now. So she stayed at the apartment and waited for him.

Neal came home hours later; he didn't seem drunk. But he did look broken and maybe a little shaken up. She looked up from her seat on the couch, there was a steaming mug in her hands. She had given into trying some tea. It wasn't helping.

He came over the couch and looked at her for a moment. "Feet up."

She did as she was asked and he settled on the couch, her feet on his lap. They sat in silent, his finger tracing circles around her ankle.

"I never thought out you as a villain," He started. "That was a title you gave yourself. I accepted that darker side of you a long time ago. Your method of protection may scare most but with you, I feel safe, like we can take on the world and be okay. No matter what may be thrown at us, don't lie to me or keep me in dark. We are in this together." His eyes rested on her engagement ring. "Just don't go where I can't follow." His voice almost broke.

Amelia's teary eyes met his and she placed her mug on the coffee table. She rearranged herself on Neal's lap. "I would never lie to you; you are the most important person in my life. I love you, Neal Cassidy." His lips found hers, gentle and sweet.

"I love you too Amelia Hunter."

"What did I do to deserve you?" She asked between kisses.

"All the wrong things." Neal answered honestly.

Instantly the world seemed a tad bit brighter. As long as they were together, they could take on anything that was thrown at them.

* * *

**They are good together, they understand each other even when someone says/ does stupid things. Neal is the forgiving type, Amelia not so much. But we knew that already. **

**Reviews?**


	16. I'm shaken

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**I still love Captain Hunter scenes. Now that he is with Emma, scenes between him and Amelia are uncommon. So here he is, for a short time. **

* * *

The next night found Amelia alone at the bar at the White Rabbit. Whiskey was her poison for the evening. There were currently five empty shot glasses in front of her. She fought the urge to cry or even feel too much. She had been so close to losing so much.

Amelia then sensed someone sit down next to her.

"The lass needs another round." Killian told the bartender. Another shot glass was placed in front of her.

"You weren't under the curse, were you?" She asked him without even a greeting or a thank you for the drink.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" He mused.

"We are both still alive." The tiniest smile crossed her face. "You know there would have been bloodshed in the library if we had turned into the worst versions of ourselves." She turned to face him. "Killian, what were you even doing in the library?" There was so much Amelia still didn't understand.

Killian sighed heavily, he didn't really want to remember those events. But he knew he had to tell her, she deserved that much. He pulled his flask from his pocket. She had her drink, he needed his. "The Crocodile had my heart…" There was gasp from her, well that was expected. "He sent me to gather the family members for the upcoming trip. He knew where Neal was, but not where you or Henry were. I was tasked to bring Henry to the pawn shop. But the lad was smart and bested me."

"So he wanted you to bring me to him? Gold couldn't do anything himself, he had to get others to do his dirty work." So she had been right along about him.

"No, just find out where you had locked yourself. He knew I would be missing a few limbs if I was to take you anywhere."

Amelia let out a heartless chuckle. "That might be the smartest thing he has ever said." She raised her shot glass in a toast and then downed the drink. It slammed down on the bar. "Hit me." She motioned to the bartender. Another glass was placed on the bar.

Amelia picked it up but just stared intently at the liquid. "There was a moment where I honestly thought Gold was going to kill me…" She downed the drink. "Killian, I'm still shaken…" Amelia then dropped her head into her arms on the bar.

For a moment, there no movement next to her. She wasn't expecting anything. They weren't on those terms anymore. After seeing her crying into her adopted father's shoulder and knowing that Neal was right there, Killian realized that Amelia didn't need him anymore. Didn't need a shoulder to cry, maybe just an ear to listen.

Finally, some sort of movement when she heard the scrap of a chair next to her. Then a hand went on her back, right between her shoulder blades. And it got down to her muscles. She let out soft moan that was coupled with a half sob.

"Don't stop." She tilted her head to see Neal standing next to her.

"I assume you have it from here?" Killian asked Neal, who only nodded. Killian left the bar and exited the White Rabbit.

"You are getting cut off." Neal pushed the empty shot glasses away from her. "You thought my father was going to kill you?" He asked, worried.

"He was telling me his whole plan from behind a magical barrier. I called him a coward for it. If you are going to threaten me, do so to my face so I can punch you."

"Yeah, he doesn't take well to being called that." His hand went up and down her back. "How did you know it was me and not…?"

Her head tilted to his hand. "That's your left hand."

"Ah, telltale sign. Come here." Neal finally offered the hug that Amelia wasn't ready to accept until now. "You're safe, he is never going to hurt you. He is far away and not coming back here. I am always going to protect you no matter what." He whispered in her ear.

Amelia nodded and didn't bother wiping the tears from her cheeks.

* * *

Should she try to mend her relationship with Belle? That was the question on Amelia's mind. She had said everything and barely tried to defend herself. Why should she defend herself? It's not like anything would change Belle's mind.

They were friends, still family, maybe? Belle left Gold, was she still Neal's step mom? Things were so confusing.

Work was just awkward; they barely spoke while they worked in the library. Amelia almost preferred to be at the station with Emma, Killian and David. At least they didn't hate her guts, today.

So Amelia avoided going to work at the library at all costs. She needed a new hobby, something to help people, something to get her mind off of Gold.

* * *

Amelia arrived home earlier than usual from her shift at the station and quickly noticed something was wrong. The door to her apartment was half opened. She knew that Neal was out with Henry, unless he stopped here for something. No one else had the key to their apartment.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Neal. He answered on the second ring.

"Hey babe, you need something?"

"No, did you leave the door open by accident when you left?" She asked, hoping for a positive answer.

"No, I made sure it locked behind me. Why, is something wrong?" There was hint of worry in his voice.

"I'm not sure yet, but I think someone broke into our apartment…" How Amelia said that calmly was beyond her. She should have been slightly scared and worried at that idea. The phone was pressed between her shoulder and her head while her hand pulled her gun from her back pocket.

"Amelia, I'm calling Emma. Don't do anything until she gets there." Neal said.

"Too late, I got this…" And she hung up the phone and stuck it in her back pocket. Amelia had opened the door more with her foot. The sight inside surprised her. Nothing seemed to be out of place. The living room and dining area were exactly as Amelia had left it this morning.

But she did not lower the gun; there was a bad feeling in her gut. Had someone really broken in? Was someone that stupid?

Aside from a few moved papers on the coffee table, the island in the kitchen had a bottle of whiskey with an empty tumbler next to it. Was she being told something?

Amelia shook her head, having an unwanted guest in her apartment was such an invasion of privacy. And for someone who rarely let people into her life, Amelia wanted to throw something to get rid of her anger. But that would ruin the crime scene.

Her gun was still held up as she entered her bedroom. Now an annoyed grunt exited her mouth. While the intruder has kept the front rooms neat, her bedroom was apparently free range.

Bed unmade, clothes flung from their places of both the dresser and the closet, her vanity and chair were turned over with all its content tossed across the room. Personal items were also thrown from their proper places.

"Amelia?" Emma called from the door of the apartment. Well that was fast.

"In the bedroom." Amelia called back. Her gun was finally lowered.

Emma came into the room with David behind her. They both surveyed the damage.

"Amelia, I am so sorry. Any idea what they were looking for?" Emma asked.

"No, I don't own valuable stuff. My jewelry I wear; my daggers are on me." Amelia tried to think. She didn't have anything someone would want.

"Well, whoever it was, they were looking for something." David reasoned.

"You want a hand cleaning up? Maybe putting everything away would help you figure out what is missing, if anything." Emma offered.

Amelia shook her head. "No thanks, Neal should be home soon."

* * *

**Umm, someone broke into her apartment. This is not good, was anything taken? So many questions. **

**Reviews?**


	17. Should she be holding a sledgehammer?

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**So there is a lot going on in this chapter with Amelia. Hoping you can pick up what is wrong and maybe guess where I am going with it.**

* * *

Amelia sat in Granny's with Marian, Nathan, and Jordan a few days later. They had found a storefront for Marian to set up shop. Now they were just going over what kind of renovations the building would need.

"You guys are sure this is the one? It seems to need a lot of work." Marian was looking over the listing; she did not understand most of the words. Like electrical or plumbing.

"Yes, it's within earshot and eyeshot of both the station, the bakery and the library." Amelia told Marian as she sipped her latte.

"Such good friends, aren't you?" She smiled.

Nathan raised his mug. "The best." The four of them clinked mugs. Never in a million years did any of them think this scene was possible.

Amelia had an odd taste in her mouth, it took her a few seconds to decide whether she liked it or not.

"Amelia, you alright?" Jordan asked.

"Yeah, Henry has been trying for weeks to sneak cinnamon into my latte. Just because I'm joining the family doesn't mean I have to drink like them. But this isn't half bad." She looked around but didn't see Henry anywhere in sight. Well, the kid was sneaky.

"So Regina really brought these plans over and already had the dress shop idea Okayed by the … zoning board?" Marian asked, using foreign words.

"Yep, she dropped them off this morning at the station." Amelia said.

"So she's a good guy, turned over a new leaf?" Marian was still unsure.

"Yes she is. I spent a while with her on Neverland, we all had to work together to save Henry from his great grandfather, a kid in demon's clothing." There was a look of shock around the table. Amelia shrugged her shoulders. "Neal's family is messed up."

At a table nearby, Neal was coloring with Roland.

"No, Uncle Neal, grass is green!" Roland told Neal, whose picture of a house had a yellow front lawn.

"The kid who lives in this house spends too much time playing video games and never waters his front lawn." Neal reasoned with the five-year-old.

"What's a video game?" Roland asked.

"Something you will never know about because your father lives in the forest, your mother is new here and your Aunt Mia doesn't believe in TV."

Amelia smiled and there was a common thought around the table. Neal was very good with children. Her finger was moving in a casual spinning motion as she thought.

The four of them continued to go over lists and items that the shop needed. Then there was a distinct soft clinking sound. Amelia's eyes slid to her mug and the stationary spoon in it. The spoon received an eyebrow raise and a confused look.

But Amelia dismissed it, it had to be nothing. Her mind was playing with her. She finished her latte in one gulp.

The friends stood up and promised to meet up at the storefront in three days. Neal and Amelia headed around town for some errand running.

* * *

Marian spent an evening with Amelia and Neal, just dinner, drinks and some dress ideas. Marian needed to know what this realm's taste in fashion was like. After dinner, Marian walked into Amelia's closet and just stared for a while.

"Is everything here so short and tight?" She yelled out.

Amelia giggled from her seat on the bed next to Neal. "No, not really. That's just my style."

Then Marian walked out of the closet. "When would a person wear this?" She was holding a very sheer, very short dress.

Amelia felt her face turn red at once. "Umm, that dress doesn't leave the bedroom." She somehow got out the answer.

"Oh…." Marian was suddenly very embarrassed when she understood what Amelia meant. She then went back into the closet.

Neal's arm pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "I don't remember seeing that one."

"In the light." Amelia told him quietly, which received a chuckle.

* * *

Later that night, Amelia's eyes flew open, that had been an odd dream. She couldn't figure out what was happening in it, but it felt wrong.

She rolled over to see Neal's sleeping form next to her. He had been in the dream. Of that she was sure. She wasn't sure where the dream had taken place. Had there been anyone else? Maybe… wait… yes.

A chill came over Amelia when she remembered it and she instantly snuggled closer to Neal.

Which slightly woke Neal up. "Babe, you alright?"

"Just hold me."

He did so, placing a kiss on her forehead. He was too tired to question her sudden need to be held.

* * *

Three mornings later a small group stood outside a slightly run down store front on the main road of Storybrooke. Marian, Amelia, Neal, Jordan, Aiden and Nathan were armed with coffee and tools. They were all dressed in comfortable clothes that clearly meant they were going to get work done.

"Alright, let's get this started." Jordan said to the group and walked into the shop. Aiden followed her with Nathan behind him.

"Marian, you sure want to help? Maybe it could be a welcome back present to you from all of us." Amelia said to her friend.

But Marian shook her head. "I want to help. I don't mind getting my hands dirty. Besides it will be fun." She shot Amelia a smile before walking into her shop.

Neal smiled at Amelia and laced his fingers around hers. Amelia swung a sledgehammer onto her shoulder and together followed her friends.

* * *

"Nathan, is this a load bearing wall?" Amelia yelled over the music hours later. They had been hard at work all day, taking down walls and painting the new walls.

"No, it's fine to take out." Nathan yelled back after checking the blue prints.

"Okay good." Amelia swung the sledgehammer and the beam didn't stand a chance. No, she wasn't pretending the beam was a certain person she wanted to take out none too nicely.

"She has barely slept all week." Neal remarked quietly to Jordan.

Jordan looked terrified. "Should she be holding a sledgehammer?"

"No, not at all, but I am not going to be the one to tell her no." Neal knew better. But her nightmares had not escaped his notice. He just hadn't said anything to her yet. He was hoping they would pass soon. In the back of his mind, he did wonder what her nightmares were about. She woke up in a panic almost every night.

* * *

Michael and Helen arrived later in the day with coffee and baked goods. They had donated money already for the renovation but they couldn't let the workers go hungry. The pastries and muffins were quickly gone as everyone sat on the floor as there were no chairs. Eventually Amelia snuggled up to Neal and tried not to fall asleep on his shoulder. But they couldn't stay like that, there was still so much work to do. So as soon as they finished eating, everyone was back on their feet back to work.

"Bernadette what is that?" Helen asked suddenly, there was horror in her voice.

Amelia should have been scared, Helen had used her real name. But she knew exactly what Helen meant. The tattoo. "It's a tattoo, Mom, calm down." Amelia said carefully.

"When did you get it done?" Helen needed to know more.

"I got it a while ago, when Mary Margret and Emma were in the Enchanted Forest. It's for my mother, the blue orchid was her favorite flower."

And Helen couldn't really argue with that. So she turned to Neal. "You knew about this?"

"I was with her with when she got it. I actually drew the template." Neal couldn't lie, he knew better. And shockingly Helen dropped the topic but she did keep sending certain looks Amelia's way until she left.

* * *

A week later, Marian's dress shop, which had been simply named "Marian's Dress Shop", was open for business.

Marian cut the ribbon herself and was met with a loud applause from her friends. Well, her friends and half the town. Granny and Ruby had offered a full snack table for the occasion.

"Marian, this is amazing." Robin came over to her, Regina was close by with a real smile on her face.

"Thank you, any dress you want Madam Mayor is on the house." Marian told Regina.

"I couldn't, I'll pay for one like everyone else. We just need a reason to get all dressed up." Regina said with a hopeful look in her eyes.

Mary Margret came up to them. "Maybe we can hold a ball of sorts in the town hall. That would be like the old days."

Neal and Amelia overheard the conversation. "I really liked that green dress you wore back in the Enchanted Forest." He whispered in her ear.

"Then you are really going to love what I have picked out for tonight." She whispered back.

* * *

**She's strong, independent business woman, a good role model. **

**Reviews? **


	18. We need this

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Fun chapter, a nice break from all the craziness that is usually in Storybrooke.**

* * *

Amelia and Neal walked into the White Rabbit and instantly saw their friends. Jordan, Aiden, Nathan, Marian, Ruby and Ashely had occupied a large table in the middle of the room. They were celebrating Marian's first week of her shop. While Marian had declined the invitation, saying she had work to do, Jordan and Amelia had talked her into coming out.

"You need this, we need this." Jordan had reasoned. They had all been through the wringer in the past twenty-eight years and now there was finally a time to just sit back and chill.

Neal helped Amelia with her coat before they sat down.

"I took the liberty of ordering drinks. The girls get the girly drinks and the harder drinks are for the men and Amelia." Nathan joked as he handed out the tall glasses. "Here is to best friends who stand by each other through everything and anything." They raised her glasses and toasted.

"Amelia, you're glowing." Jordan squealed. Amelia looked down at her outfit choice: white sleeveless peplum top, tight purple jeans and a pair of very high silver heels. She was quite proud of her out and knew Neal really liked it also. "Is there a reason you're glowing?" Jordan continued.

Amelia had to laugh. "No, I am not pregnant. When I am, you will be the first one to know."

"You mean unlike last time, where the first to know was your ex." Jordan said mournfully.

"For the record, Helen knew first. I didn't even have to tell her, she just knew and told me to jump ship."

"But seriously, you two need to get married soon. Mom needs to get off our backs about having kids. She really wants grandchildren." Jordan squeezed Aiden's hand.

"We are waiting for things to calm down." Neal told them all. It was the truth.

"Well, things are calm now." Nathan said. He just wanted to see his sister happy.

Neal and Amelia looked at each other. Things were not calm. Neal was dealing with his father's most recent fall from grace. Amelia was dealing with her nightmares that seemed to get worse each night.

"Changing the topic, did you know the couple here got engaged here?" Aiden broke in. Amelia was grateful he moved the conversation along.

"You did?" Ashely and Ruby asked at the same time, Marian had wide eyes. There was still much about her friend that she did not know.

"Yep, she sang to him. Something about accepting her dark side." Jordan smiled.

"That's not the whole story. Neal proposed at the library while I was working. I didn't give him an answer because I was freaking out. Helen was the one who talked me through it. Then he met me here and I sang. At the end, he slipped the ring on for real. It was magical in its own way." Amelia smiled.

She looked around the table, all her friends were dressed to nines, so basically overdressed for the White Rabbit, but who cared. Jordan had on a lacy black dress, Amelia guessed Aiden had a hand in picking it out. Ruby wore red, as usual and her makeup was as flawless as ever. Even Marian had fully embraced Storybrooke fashion. But she kept a piece of her fairy tale self. She wore a long flowered skirt paired with a sequin off the shoulder top.

Marian noticed that Amelia was looking at her outfit with a curious eye. "Jordan's closet is more my style. I don't have the confidence for your clothes."

"Not yet, we will get you there. I am getting you in a pair of heels." Amelia raised her glass to her friend.

"And watch me break my neck?" Marian joked.

"You are in good hands with Amelia, she would never let you fall." Neal told Marian. His arm went around Amelia's shoulder and he pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

The night continued with food and lots of drinks. Marian was a good sport about trying everything once. Even the tiny pepper that she ate against Amelia and Jordan's yelling at her not to. Nathan was going to pay for that later.

Then the music started and Amelia was the first one to move to the tune.

"Wow, you had enough to drink?" Ruby giggled.

"Maybe…" Amelia giggled back. Then she got to her feet, slightly unsteadily, and grabbed Marian's hand. "Come on, let me show you how we have fun in this realm."

"But I don't have a dance partner." Marian told her. She was used to the proper way of dancing from back in the Enchanted Forest.

"Partners are not needed here. Just feel the music, get into the rhythm and let go." Amelia did not let go of her hands.

It took Marian a few minutes to let loose, it started with off beats and laughing but soon enough she was having fun. Then Jordan, Ashely and Ruby joined them on the dance floor. Just five young women, ones who had faced hardships and almost couldn't believe how far they had come as people. They had friends, real friends and also a bright future.

Suddenly Amelia was off in her own world. The noise of the big city filled her ears and she let it consume her.

But it was Neal's hand on her arm that brought her back to reality. She looked up at him and suddenly the music slowed. They locked eyes and he drew her close. Their foreheads just touched, Amelia couldn't get over the feeling of complete and pure love that Neal was washing over her. Pure love and trust and acceptance: that was all she ever wanted in life.

For those few moments, between the two of them, everything was right with the world. No curses, or monsters, or witches. Just calm and peaceful and perfect.

* * *

**Amelia is still having terrible dreams, any idea what they could be about?**

**Reviews?**


	19. It makes me feel so guilty

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Heads up, this chapter is kind of sad. Note for the Latin paragraph, there are no capital letters at the beginning of the sentence.**

* * *

Amelia struggled to keep her eyes open. She was sitting on the couch wrapped in the wolf blanket reading The Hobbit, again. It was familiar and comforting, more so than Neal, was that a bad thing to say?

"You have probably read that book so many times you can quote it." Came a voice from the hallway.

Amelia turned around to face Neal, a forced smile on her face. "I come from under the hill and under the hills and over the hills my paths led. And through the air. I am he who walks unseen. I am the clue finders, the web cutter, the stinging fly. I was chosen for the lucky number. I am he who buries his friends alive and drowns them and draws them alive from the water. I come from the end of bag but no bag went over me. I am the friend of bears and the guest of eagles. I am the ring winner and the luck wearer. I am the barrel rider."

"Impressive." Neal complimented her, sitting down on the couch.

"What to hear me do it in Latin?" She didn't wait for a response. "Sub colle uenio, et subter colles et supra colles uiae meae tetenderunt. Atque per acerem. Ego sum qui inuisus ambulat. Sum inuentor rerum reconditarum, sector araneorum Musca cum aceleo. Propter numerum fortunatum electus sum. Sum qui amicos unuos sepelit et eos submergit et eos iterum ex aqua uiuos tollit. A fine sacci ueni, sed nullus super me ueniebatur. Sum ursis amicus, et aquilarum hospes. Sum Anuil-uictor, et Fprtunae-gestor, et sum Cupae-rector."

"Wow, that was amazing." Neal said, then she yawned. "You coming to bed soon?" He asked

Amelia closed her eyes, bed was the very last place she wanted to be. "No, I'm not tired yet." She answered half truthfully.

"You know you don't have to sleep in bed, right?" Neal gave her a crooked smile. She shook her head. That was odd, she was turning him down. And now he became worried. "It's because of the nightmares, isn't it?" He asked, finally ready to find out what was going on with her and wanting a straight answer. Amelia sucked in a deep breath. How had he known? Before she was able to ask, he stopped her. "You moan stuff in your sleep and not in a good way. Then you wake up in a panic every morning. You have barely been sleeping since the break in. Are you confused about that person?"

"Neal…" She almost didn't have a voice. He cared so much about her. He was always in her dreams, safe and happy with her. In her dreams, she was never going to lose him. But she couldn't bring herself to tell him anything. "I don't want to talk about it. Please, please, leave it at that." She almost pleaded. She couldn't voice her dreams to him, not yet.

Neal sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. "Fine, but promise me that you will tell me when it doesn't hurt so much."

She nodded but knew that day was never coming. She did let Neal take her hand and lead her to bed.

* * *

Yes, maybe sitting in the station with her feet up on the desk was about as unprofessional as one could get. But Amelia didn't care. She was trying not to fall asleep. Why did Storybrooke have to be so calm right now?

The dreams were getting worse now. She could remember the whole thing when she woke up in the morning. And it scared her to the bone.

A knock at the door brought Amelia's feet to the floor with a very loud thud. She expected to see either a very angry David or an annoyed Emma. But to her shock, Archie Hopper stood in the doorway.

"Amelia, am I interrupting anything?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Just watching the station while everyone else is out at lunch." Silence filled the station. "Can I help you with something? Did someone break into your office?" Amelia asked Archie. Suddenly she was very uncomfortable.

"No, nothing like that. How are you dealing with Mr. Gold's latest quest for power? You were heavily involved there."

Oh, that's what he wanted to talk about? Amelia shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Gold got what he deserved and I have moved on." Yes, Amelia just lied to the shrink's face.

David then entered the station. "Archie, is something wrong?"

"No, David, I'm just here for Amelia." Archie turned back to her. "Neal had said you were having nightmares." Archie said carefully.

"Why the hell is he talking to you about my problems?" Amelia felt anger rising in her.

"And you're getting defensive." Archie observed. He should have taken a step back but for some reason he was feeling brave.

"So what if I am?" Amelia half yelled. Suddenly one of the cell doors slammed shut.

"Is there a sudden draft in there?" Emma and Killian were just entering the station. David shook his head and reopened the cell. Amelia hadn't move yet. She was still sitting and fighting emotions.

"Archie, thank you for your concern, but it's nothing I can't handle." She told him. It was only a half truth. And she thought she made a wise decision but not making eye contact with anyone. There was someone in the station who could see right through her.

* * *

Later that day, Amelia stood outside Archie's office, hand positioned to knock. She shouldn't be mad at him; he had only talked to her because Neal asked him to. And she couldn't be mad at Neal either, he was just worried about her.

She didn't want to talk about her reoccurring dreams. They just made her feel so guilty. Made her sick to her stomach. Made her want to punch the living daylights out of the person who inspired these dreams.

She had to be brave, Amelia Hunter was anything but a coward, which was more than she could say for someone else. So she held her head up high and knocked on the psychologist's door.

Archie answered it right away, slightly shocked. "Amelia, come in." He ushered her inside.

Amelia sat down on the actual couch, as opposed to her usual arm of the couch.

"So, like I had said earlier, Neal told me you have had trouble sleeping recently." Archie started.

"Nightmares to be exact." Amelia corrected him.

"What kind of nightmares?"

"Well, they aren't really nightmares…" Amelia began that stopped. Archie didn't look like he was going to start talking. "So I'm doing all the work here?" He only nodded.

So she brought her knees close and began to tell her tale. "In my dreams, Gold succeeded in taking the family to New York. Neal and I settled into a routine, took Henry to school in the morning, then Neal would go to work while I stayed home. Weekends were for family time, movies, baseball games, museum trips, whatever. We had Belle and Gold over for dinner weekly. It was so calm and normal and quiet. Just a small family unit. Myself, Neal, Henry, Gold, Belle and…" She suddenly stopped herself and strove to control her emotions.

"And who else?" Archie suddenly became curious. Amelia furiously shook her head; she didn't want to answer that question. "Amelia, I can't help you if you don't tell me everything."

She closed her eyes. "There was a baby." And the tears started. Archie passed her a tissue, which she took gratefully took. "In New York with the family… there was a baby."

"Amelia, you should have come here after your miscarriage to cope and talk it out."

Amelia gave a heartless laugh. "There was no time. It happened on the way to Neverland. Then we went back to the Enchanted Forest. Then I nearly lost Neal. We haven't had time to properly grieve. All we did was have a makeshift funeral with pink carnations thrown into the water over at the docks."

"The question now is why do these dreams keep you up at night?"

"Because they make me feel so guilty. I liked it, I wanted it, so badly. Part of me wished Gold had succeeded." She finally stood up and began to pace the small office.

"Amelia, have you ever had a stable life?" Archie asked.

She laughed. "Do I look like I had a stable life before coming to Storybrooke?"

"I think the reason these dreams are so appealing to you is that you crave a routine and seek normalcy. I assume that the life of a bounty hunter was very unpredictable."

"Never knowing if or how you were getting your meal, always looking over your shoulder, never letting people get too close, never knowing if you were going to see the sun set that day or rise the next…"

"It's not for everyone, you walked that path and came out on the other side. I think that you were given this life because you're strong enough to live it."

"You think I'm strong, Archie?" Amelia asked honestly. There were a few people who had told her she was, but she had very close relationships with them. Archie was more of an acquaintance, barely.

"You had at one point closed yourself off to connections but you found someone who opened you up to the possibility of love and hope. You found your way back from a very dark place." Archie answered her.

Amelia smiled. "I always like to think of myself as entirely made of flaws stitched together with good intentions. No matter what I did, it was always for someone else, not myself. As long as the people I cared about were safe, that was the most important thing to me. I never pictured myself one to get overly emotional about a baby and a family and a home. After my life went to hell, I accepted that I didn't deserve that, didn't deserve happiness. And there I go on the pity party."

"Pain never really goes away. The loss of a child or any close person never goes away. Just carry them in your heart and they will never leave you."

"What about my nightmares? How do I make them stop? Do I tell Neal?" Amelia finally circled back to the reason she was here.

"They are dreams, not nightmares, Amelia. That future, or at least something like that, is still very possible for you. Telling Neal is completely up to you."

Amelia felt so much lighter, less stressed and worried. "Never forget something that made you smile. The nightmare, sorry the dreams, made me smile, made me so happy. I can picture a life like that here in Storybrooke, when things stay calm. Thank you, Archie, I needed this." Amelia stood up, Archie followed her suit.

"Glad I could help. Any time you need to talk, my door is always open to you." He made a motion to hug her but Amelia raised an eye brow at him. She was not there yet. And he took the hint very well.

Amelia exited his office and then walked out into the quiet streets. There was a slight mist coming down.

She just stopped on the sidewalk and lifted her face to the sky. She was the strongest person she knew, she had a hard life and somehow she wasn't a horrible person because of it. She was loved and cared for, she was powerful in her own special way. There was a bright and wonderful future waiting for her.

A light breeze blew past her and the leaves did an almost dance around her. There was something magical about it. Amelia smiled, understanding what had just happened. She was going to enjoy it for as long as she could.

Amelia went home to find Neal cooking a very late dinner. She wrapped her arms around his waist and told him everything about her dreams. He listened and when she finished, gathered her in his arms and just held her. That was all they needed at the moment, to hold each other.

* * *

**Her reaction to Archie trying to help, it's so her, not accepting help. So that's what she had been dreaming about. **

**All the Latin is correct; I do own a copy of The Hobbit in Latin. I am such a nerd and I love it **

**Reviews?**


	20. You found me, you happy now?

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**So I am starting to go off script here and diving into Amelia's past, there is a lot she doesn't talk about and with good reason. I am finally going to connect her to a Disney movie, you just have to guess which one. The first hint is in this chapter.**

* * *

Life was starting to get back to normal, or as normal as Storybrooke could. It was six months since Gold had been banished. Six months of calm and peace. Regina returned to her role as mayor while Mary Margaret went back to her teaching position in the school. Robin kept his Merry Men busy with odd jobs that still left time for Regina. Roland was now enrolled in school and he seemed to take to it very well. Marian was happily busy with her business and learning about her new home. Emma and David ran the police station as sheriff and deputy with Amelia and Killian as backup. Neal continued working at the auto shop but he did spend time in the pawn shop, either with Belle or just alone. Henry settled into a routine, one he never had, school and splitting his time between three sets of parents.

But the calm and peace wasn't going to last forever. The entire sheriff station, were both confused and concerned when the call came in. A yellow ball of light, like a large firefly, had been spotted flying through the town. It didn't seem to cause trouble but just the idea that something new was in Storybrooke set everyone on edge.

Emma and David paired up while Amelia paired up with Killian. Mary Margret and Regina even joined the search.

And Amelia ditched Killian the first chance she got. She knew exactly what had entered the realm and why it had come now. She stood in the middle of the street, almost like bait.

Amelia didn't have to wait long before the ball of light appeared at the end of the street. And it came zooming towards her and Amelia didn't flinch.

Until it knocked her off her feet and stayed very close to her face.

"You found me, happy now?" Amelia asked it, slightly grumpy.

The ball of light only response was a high pitched hum.

"Well, none of my realm jumping was my choice." Amelia said then turned to see Emma, Mary Margret, David, Kilian and Regina a few feet away, staring at her, beyond concerned for the former bounty hunter's sanity.

"Is she… talking to it?" Mary Margret asked David, she had no idea what to think about the scene in front of her. To the untrained ear, the humming that came from the ball of light sounded angry, if that was even possible.

"Will you get off of me so my friends don't think I'm a psycho?" Amelia asked as politely as possible to the ball of light.

The ball gave Amelia some space so she could get to her feet. And she did so under the gaze of her friends.

And the angry humming started again. And the ball flitted around Amelia in sharp lines, as if trying to make a point.

"Yes, I went back there once, sorry I didn't say hi. I was busy and on a tight schedule." More angry humming, this time more high pitched. "Whoa, calm down there, Blinky." But that comment only made the humming worse. Amelia raised an eye brow and shook her head. "That name is entirely too long; you were always Blinky."

"Amelia, I had no idea you could talk to balls of light. You are just full of surprises." Emma finally said something, one would think that nothing would phase the savior by this point. She, and everyone else, were still trying to wrap their heads around the situation.

Now came a calm hum.

"She was talking to me." Amelia told Blinky, rolling her eyes. "Blowing me a raspberry, real mature."

Mary Margret stepped forward. "Welcome to Storybrooke, Blinky. I hope you enjoy your stay here." She felt ridiculous talking to a ball of light.

An almost snarky hum came from Blinky.

"No, she has always been like that." Amelia answered Blinky's comment just as snarky.

"Could you not leave us out of the one sided conversation, is that too much to ask?" Regina began to question her sanity.

"Regina, you don't really want to know what she's saying." Amelia answered honestly. A short hum came from Blinky, as if agreeing with Amelia.

"So, exactly what is your friend, Amelia?" David asked. Maybe this was a better approach to find out answers.

"Blinky is my…" Amelia wasn't exactly sure what she was, but she did try. "Guardian spirit." Yes, that worked.

"No wonder it's mad." Killian commented.

Now a questioning hum from Blinky.

"Occasionally, he has his moments." Amelia told Blinky. She then turned to the group. "So we know what the light is, are we done here? Blinky and I have some catching up to do."

"Is it, I mean she, going to cause any trouble?" Emma asked.

"She's as much trouble as I am." Amelia attempted to joke but didn't exactly work.

"That's not comforting." Killian said quietly.

Not waiting for an answer, Amelia began to walk in the direction of the library.

"There's something she isn't telling us." Regina said out loud.

"What else is new with her?" Emma responded. While the group trusted Amelia, they didn't know everything about her past, not yet.

* * *

At the library, Amelia locked the door and walked into a dark corner. She began to pace, wringing her hands. Blinky floated close by. Part of Amelia was concerned about the current situation. And then part of her relished the fact that she hadn't felt this alive since… her very first realm jump. But she was without a doubt scared at the possible reason for the change.

"I know why you're here. It's because of this. But why exactly is this happening now?" She asked the ball of light.

Blinky blinked a few times, as if trying to look innocent. But the look on Amelia's face changed her mind. Blinky went through a long series of different pitched hums.

Amelia listened intently; worry being etched further into her face. "Home sounds so cheery right now. No, I'm not going back to stop him. That's not my job. Besides I don't have a way there, much less a way to get back here."

A hopeful twinkle came from Blinky.

"No, Storybrooke is my home now. My family is here; my life is here."

* * *

A few hours later, Amelia was unlocking the door to her apartment with Blinky over her shoulder. "So this is where I live. Not a peep to anyone about the issues back home, you hear me?"

A monotone hum came from Blinky.

The pair entered the apartment and Neal walked into the hallway. "Hey, how was work, heard there was an odd call…" Then he noticed the ball of light floating near Amelia. "Normal people have stray animals follow them home."

"Well, I'm not exactly normal." Amelia said, kissing him quickly. "Neal, this is this Blinky, my guardian spirit. Blinky, this is Neal, my fiancé."

Blinky flew in close to Neal's face, as if studying him. Then as if seeing something horrible, flew back behind Amelia. And she emitted a long series of hums.

Amelia nodded. "Yes, he's the Dark One's son. The Dark One was banished a few months ago; we don't have to worry about him. Neal is a good man despite his father."

Neal's blank stare went between Amelia and Blinky. "You understand what it's saying?"

"Blinky's a she and yes, I understand. We are going to have a house guest for a little while."

"Well, I doubt our lives could get any weirder. Welcome to our home." Neal extended a warm welcome to the small ball of light.

* * *

It was late that night when Blinky flew over to Amelia who was sitting on the couch.

"You done being mad at me?" She asked.

A noise that almost sounded like a purr came from the ball of light.

"I know, I missed you too."

Blinky rested on Amelia's shoulder and dimmed slightly. They were both asleep in minutes.

* * *

**New character, Blinky! The ball of light knows a lot. **

**Where is home and who is him?**

**And this is why I did the rewrites, to be able to drop hints about Amelia as things were happening to her. **

**Reviews? **


	21. I went for a stroll

**I do not own Once Upon a Time. **

**Going off script, hope you like it.**

* * *

Details were slowly coming to light about how far Gold had gone to free himself from the dagger. He had ripped out Killian's heart, making him a puppet and then somehow acquired a magical hat. According to Killian, the hat belonged to a very powerful sorcerer, a sorcerer who had been around a very long time.

Gold was planning on collecting other magical people inside of it, enough to free himself. All he was able to get, or rather all Killian was able to get, was the sorcerer's apprentice and all the fairies. Gold had planned on trapping Emma to finish it off but it had been Elsa's last minute heart to heart that stopped Emma. So that was how Emma was going to get rid of her magic, under false information from Gold. Amelia was grateful she didn't go through with it.

Now the magical hat sat on a desk in the sheriff station. Emma, David, Mary Margaret, Killian, Regina and Amelia stood around it, just staring at it.

"So how do we get the fairies out? They don't need to be trapped in there." Emma asked out loud.

"Maybe I have something in my vault." Regina offered.

"Leave them in there." Amelia said.

Suddenly everyone turned to stare at her. "Do you have something against fairies?" David asked, shocked.

"Not really, though they never did like me robbing them weekly…" Amelia started.

"Wait, you stole from fairies? Why?" Emma was still, even after all this time, trying to wrap her mind around Amelia's past.

"Do you have any idea how much fairy dust went for on the black market?" She shrugged her shoulders then dropped it and began her plead her case. "But in all seriousness, the sorcerer had this hat for a long time, and most likely used it to get rid of his opponents. Very powerful opponents, both good and bad. So unless you can safely get just the fairies and no one else, be my guest. If not, leave it alone."

Silence filled the station, which a few minutes later was broken by David. "I have to agree with Amelia, she has a valid point."

"Thank you." Amelia nodded then stared at the hat and suddenly began to hear quiet whispers in her head. Soft far away whispers that seemed to speak to her directly, seemed to want something from her.

"Amelia…?" Mary Margret gently touched Amelia's shoulder. That quickly brought her out of her trance. By the looks on the faces of the others, they had not heard a thing. "You alright there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Amelia nodded though she really wanted to shake her head to get rid of the whispers.

"So, what do we do with that hat until we find a way to free just the fairies? We have to keep it safe from anyone." Regina asked.

"I'll keep it here and put a protection spell on the building so only we can enter it." Emma told them.

Amelia nodded, hoping that would be enough to protect the hat and everyone inside.

* * *

Belle called a day later with good news. There was a spell in one of Regina's books to free the fairies. The only issue was it was in another language. But she had already sent it to be translated by some professor at Oxford. Hopefully they should get a response in a day or so. Then they could get more answers on the sorcerer.

* * *

Emma and Killian sat in Granny's, Emma had a hot chocolate while Killian was carefully sipping a coffee. He was still getting used to this bitter drink that everyone in Storybrooke seemed to swear by.

Their quiet moment was rudely interrupted by a fairy dropping from the ceiling. And it wasn't just one fairy, it was about ten.

It was shocking and confusing to say the least. All the fairies that had been sucked into the magical hat by Killian six months ago were now in the middle of Granny's.

The Blue Fairy herself was behind the counter and she slowly got to her feet, clearly shaken by the experience.

Emma was at her side instantly, needing answers. "Blue, you were trapped inside a magical hat. Do you have any idea how you got out?" Emma asked.

Blue looked around the diner, then noticed a very guilty Killian. "You weren't acting on your own, were you?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, the bloody crocodile ripped my heart out, I was powerless."

"But you're safe now. Any ideas on how you got out?" Emma asked again. What had happened?

"There's only one kind of magic that could have done this. Magic that is not found in the Enchanted Forest. Power that strong can rival even the Dark One himself. Ancient magic." Blue informed them before going to her fellow fairies around the diner.

"Great, another issue on our hands." Emma shook her head. Then there was a loud blood curling roar outside. She was outside with Killian at her heels. Regina joined her as did Mary Margaret and Neal.

"What was that?" Mary Margaret asked.

"First things first, the fairies are free. No idea on how yet." Emma told them. There was another roar, this time the ground shook. And they all saw what caused it.

A huge winded creature with horns flew across the town and settled on the clock tower. No doubt it could and would gladly destroy the town and everyone in it.

"Where did that come from?" Neal asked.

"No idea, but we need to get rid of it, now…" Emma said. She turned to Mary Margaret, Killian and Neal for assistance.

"First we get everyone to safety, we know the drill." Mary Margaret smiled then began to walk away.

Killian squeezed Emma's hand. "This isn't our first monster mash here, Swan." He followed Mary Margaret.

This left Neal with Emma and Regina. "Don't worry, you got this." He was supportive of Emma and her magic.

"Thanks. Any idea on where Amelia is? She likes this kind of stuff." Emma was slightly concerned at the missing librarian. The last time she had seen Amelia, something was off about her.

"No idea, but I will find her. Now go protect our town." Neal headed down the street to the bakery. On the way, he pulled out his cell phone.

She answered on the third ring. "Hi honey, how are you?" She sounded calm.

"Where are you?" He tried not to sound panicked. He entered the bakery just as the winged creature swept over the town. Close one.

"I went for a stroll." Amelia answered him.

She went for a stroll, now of all time? "Well, there's a giant demon in the town." There was silence on the phone. "Amelia…?"

"That's not good." She replied thoughtfully.

"No, it's not. Get to the bakery so I know you are safe." Neal told her. He hung up the phone and looked at the family inside. "Yeah so there's a demon outside, don't know where it came from, but Emma and Regina are on it." He gave Michael, Helen and Nathan the lowdown.

"Jordan is home today with Aiden. I'll call her to stay home." Helen said before going into the back room.

* * *

Amelia Hunter walked back to town from her interesting stroll. She kept looking over her shoulder for any sign of the winged demon Neal had warned her about. Where had it come from, well she knew the answer to that question. But why was what she wanted to know.

Then she saw it, still sitting on the clock tower, as if claiming it as its new home. Amelia may or may not have made eye contact with it and shockingly her blood did not run cold. She had seen worse. Amelia just continued on her way to the bakery.

Once inside, Neal pulled her into a tight hug, thanking his lucky stars that she was safe. Then she sat in the corner, drinking her latte and avoiding everyone's eyes.

* * *

Her phone ran a few hours later. The winged demon was gone, thanks to some advice from some new friends. New friends? Amelia did not like the sound of that. The any information that Emma gave was that the demon was tracking Regina and the only way to get rid of it was to get out of the town. So Emma began a car chase, one that ended with a sudden stop at the town line. The car made the stop while the demon did not.

One less problem in town now, or so they all thought.

* * *

Later that day, Amelia entered the station to see an old bearded man sitting in the chair across from Emma.

"So Emma is now tracking down old men who look like a sorcerer?" Amelia asked jokingly, placing a box of baked goods on a desk.

"According to Killian, he's the sorcerer's apprentice; Killian had trapped him inside the hat. Emma tracked him down with Killian's help. When the man was asked how he was released, Emma knew he was lying. Then she brought him in for further questioning." David told her. He didn't meet her eyes and she made no move to meet his. Clearly they were both hiding something.

"Oh." Amelia busied herself with the coffee maker. Maybe there was room in the budget for a latte machine. And she started to eavesdrop.

"I don't know why or how I was freed. One minute I was being sucked into the hat then I'm inside the hat, which by the way is a nasty cramped place and then I'm right back in the house where I was sucked into the hat." The apprentice sounded so calm.

"I only believe about half of what you are saying. I know you know exactly how you were released and who released you. Maybe you are staying quiet because either you are protecting the person who released you or you're scared of them."

"One of your reasons is correct, Sheriff."

"You don't look like a man who scares easily, being the Sorcerer's Apprentice. So I think you are protecting whoever."

"Quite smart." He seemed impressed.

"Can you at least answer me one question? Should we be worried about this person with ancient magic who set you free?" Emma asked.

And finally, an honest answer came from his lips. "No."

* * *

**Ok, so Amelia wasn't really in this chapter because she may or may not be hiding something. It's her, she is sadly always hiding something. **

**FYI- I LOVED the mountain demon in this chapter, it made me happier than it should have. He was always my favorite part of Fantasia, like when he went to sleep, I thought the movie was over. It was only recently I learned Ava Maria ended the movie. And the Sorcerer's Apprentice terrified me. I was a strange child. **

**The sorcerer's apprentice knows something, who is he protecting?**

**Going forward, it will be an all new plot. I have my own stuff planned, the next story will be completely me. So you will have no idea where I am going. **

**Reviews?**


	22. The truth, I know nothing

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**The running theme now is that Amelia is hiding something huge about herself. It could and will change everything and how people see her.**

* * *

Now Storybrooke had two new residents, who showed up in Granny's diner the next morning. Amelia and Neal were enjoying their breakfast before heading off to work when they arrived.

Amelia noticed that Mary Margaret and David looked beyond concerned and annoyed. So she left her own booth and slid in next to David.

"Who ate your bowl of sunshine this morning, thunderclouds?" She greeted them. Either one of them answered, they just continued to stare at the new comers. "So who are they?"

"Cruella De Vile and Ursula, big time villains…" Mary Margaret said.

"I got the fact that they are villain but the way you are staring at them, it's like they really did you wrong. Or you did them wrong." Amelia guessed. Again Mary Margaret and David said nothing. Amelia shook her head, she would get the truth out of them eventually, Mary Margaret could never keep a secret.

"Hello handsome, have we met before?" Cruella was closing in on Neal. She actually touched Neal's shoulder.

"No, we definitely never met." Neal played it cool though he was uncomfortable.

"No, no. I know we have. Your eyes are familiar…" Cruella thought then suddenly snapped her eyes. "Rumplestiltskin. That's who you look like."

Damn him and his eyes that matched his fathers.

Ursula chimed in. "Rumplestiltskin did mention having a son. Well, I am thankful that the apple fell far from the tree."

And that was Amelia's sign to step in. She walked over to Neal, draping a comforting arm over his shoulder. "Back off ladies, he's taken."

The new comers sized up Amelia. "And you are…?" Ursula questioned.

"Amelia Hunter, former bounty hunter in the Enchanted Forest. And Neal's fiancée". Her emerald engagement ring was front and center.

"Oh congratulations darling. Please invite us to the wedding." Cruella said.

Amelia shot them a fake smile. "Slim chance of that."

Neal agreed but had a question. "You saw my father recently?"

"Yes, we ran into the Dark One in a bar, drowning in his sorrows away. Sad sorry excuse for a man." Ursula told them. "He told us all about this town, how it's a second chance for villains who want to turn their lives around."

"And that is exactly what we want to do. We aren't villains anymore. Is that why you call this place home?" Cruella directed her question to Amelia. Obviously being a former bounty hunter meant she had been a villain at one point.

"This is home because my family is here." Amelia answered with a smile on her face. "I believe in second chances…"

"That's sounds so heroic." Ursula remarked.

"But I don't believe everyone deserves one." Amelia finished.

Finally, Cruella and Ursula got the hint and walked out of Granny's.

Then something that Ursula said set off warning bells in Amelia's head; that Gold had been drowning his sorrows in a bar, but she said nothing.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue." Neal kissed her cheek.

"That's my job, protecting you from crazies."

"I wonder why slim chance and fat chance mean the same thing." Neal mused. Amelia looked at him with a confused look on her face. Then she laughed and kissed his cheek. "Now go tell Mary Margaret and David that something is up with our new friends."

So Neal did pick up on the same thing Amelia did.

Amelia went back to Mary Margaret and David's table. "Cruella and Ursula were lying about meeting Gold in a bar."

"How do you know that?" David looked up at Amelia.

"Gold doesn't drink." That comment earned her an odd look. "Something I learned during a family dinner. I wouldn't be having any more of those." Amelia shrugged.

Amelia and Neal left Granny's and walked down the street. That's where they saw an odd sight. It was Belle, walking hand in hand with Will Scarlet.

Neal stopped dead in his tracks, unsure what to think. That was his step-mother.

Amelia shook her head. "Well, she moved on quick." She tried not to judge, Amelia was one who took a long time to get over a person. Her grip tightened on Neal, she was grateful that she found her True Love. "I'll talk to her later, girl to girl."

"Okay, thank you. You take such good care of my family."

"That's because you take such good care of me." He kissed the side of her head.

* * *

Amelia walked into the sheriff station later that day and saw Emma. "Hey, so you met Storybrooke's newest residents?"

"Briefly. Amelia, can I ask you a personal question?" Amelia nodded, not really know where this was going. "You knew Killian a long time. Did he ever mention Ursula?" Emma asked

Well, not really what she thought Emma would ask. "No, he didn't. We definitely kept things from each other." Amelia sat down on the desk.

Emma looked at Amelia almost not believing the answer. "But you two were sleeping together…" She tried to reason.

Amelia rolled her eyes. "That did not mean we told each other everything." Oh, there were definitely things she had kept from Killian.

"What about Neal? You two are engaged. Does he know everything?" Emma wanted to know. She still cared about Neal and didn't want him to be betrayed.

Amelia understood that. "Neal knows I'm saving something for a rainy day. Emma, sometimes there's stuff in someone's past that's too painful to talk about." Amelia had never been so honest in her life.

* * *

Amelia made a point to catch up with Killian later that day. She had a feeling that Killian did have history with Ursula and she didn't want to worry that it would mean bad things for the town.

She found him walking down the street. "Killian!" He stopped in his tracks and he turned to face her with a smile on his face. "Hey, so Emma asked me about your history with Ursula…"

His smile dropped. "And you said?" He sounded slightly worried.

"The truth, I know nothing. I did kind of assume there was something. You're a pirate captain, she's a sea goddess."

"She's just named after the sea goddess. She was a mermaid." Killian informed her.

"Learn something new every day. So you two do have history together? How bad did it end?" Amelia asked. Killian didn't answer. "That well, huh? Are you alright with your past coming back to haunt you?"

"I'm fine. Did she press about my past? What did you tell her?"

"That sometimes our pasts hurt too much to talk about." She gave him a sad smile.

"So there's things I don't know about you? I thought I got to know everything during our six months." He cocked an eye brow at her.

"Not even close. At least I know my past can't catch up with me…" Amelia began to say then she froze. "I need to go home and check something…" She broke into a run down the street, leaving Killian standing there completely confused.

Her past was catching up to her… the break in months ago… just before the nightmares started … maybe there was a reason for them… the magical tonic that she did unspeakable things to obtain. It was safe, wasn't it?

Amelia raced into her apartment and into her bedroom. Inside, she went to the closet and her hand franticly felt around in the back. Her hand closed around a vial and she heaved a sigh of relief. But Amelia Hunter should have pulled it out and looked at it. Because it was the wrong color.

* * *

**She was robbed. Her magic tonic, the one that she did unspeakable things to get is gone. **

**Reviews?**


	23. Do you want to be a villain?

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Super long chapter. Admit it, you sang the title. **

* * *

Amelia walked into the library that morning and noticed the note on the front desk right away. It was short and right to the point.

_"Meet me at the toll bridge at midnight." _

And it wasn't signed. Now who could have sent it? Storybrooke's newest residents were Amelia's first guess. They were the type of people Amelia used to hang out with, a very long time ago, before Neal.

But a part of her was curious. Who could possibly want to meet her at the toll bridge at midnight no less? Nothing about it sounded safe or smart. But of course Amelia was going.

* * *

Amelia pulled the hood of her coat over her head. There was a light drizzle coming down. It was a few minutes to midnight. Now where was he… she… whoever? At least she came prepared with a dagger up her sleeve, like the old days.

"You did show up. I doubted you, dearie." A very familiar, very unwelcomed voice cut through the night. Amelia tensed up and did not want to turn around. She knew that voice and there were a million things running through her mind. Well, they were in the middle of the forest, no one would find the body.

She strove to control her emotions. Amelia turned around to see none other than Gold standing a few feet from her. He looked exactly the same as the last time, when she was stuck behind the magical barrier. All smug and all important.

"How the hell did you get back into town? You were banished." Amelia growled. "Let me guess, you made some new friends and you all worked together?"

"More like old friends. How is Belle?" He asked.

Amelia rolled her eyes; at least he asked the most important question first. "She's annoyed at me, not as much as she is at you of course. All because I knew about the fake dagger and doing nothing about it. I told her I wasn't a villain who went all goody two shoes for the person they love."

"Do you want to be?" He asked. Amelia had confusion in her eyes. "You know I always liked you, dearie?" Gold took a step closer. Amelia let out a heartless chuckle. That was a lie, so Gold amended his answer. "I always had the greatest deal of respect for you. I am forming a little group of selected people for a special plan and I was wondering if you were interested in joining?"

"Joining Gold and his Angels? And what pray tell is this special plan?" She asked but not because she was curious.

"Do you want to be a villain?"

All Amelia could do was stare. What exactly was Gold offering her? And why? Amelia was speechless; she could count on one hand how many times that happened.

"Think about it and get back to me. But you don't have much time." Gold told her before he disappeared.

She wasn't scared, no she wasn't. Maybe she was just uneasy. Amelia gripped the bridge for support for her sudden knocking knees. Her knees stopped but the branch behind her broke.

* * *

Amelia found herself alone at the bar in the White Rabbit. She had ordered a whiskey but had barely touched it. Her mind was racing. Villain, her? All her life she had carefully toed the line between hero and villain. She never wanted to anyone dead or sought revenge. Except that one time, but that was so long ago and she was not the same person.

Amelia looked up at the mirror in front of her. Her reflection stared back. Or did it?

Her hair had a tighter curl, her eyes were harder and her mouth was screwed into a smirk. And to top it off, there was a strand of pearls around her neck. Villain her, that had to be what she was looking at. Before she could blink or look away to banish it, her reflection winked at her.

"You are a villain; you can't escape it." Said a tiny voice inside her head.

"No." Amelia said out loud.

And a hand touched her shoulder, Amelia panicked and promptly slammed said person into the bar, hard.

Neal stared up at her, shocked, confused, worried. "Amelia, what the hell?"

But the emotion that really got to Amelia was the fear in his eyes. Pure and raw fear. She shuddered, if there was one thing she hated in this world was people to be scared of her.

She let go of him and tried to pass it off as a joke. "I thought you knew not to sneak up on me."

But of course he saw right through it. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." And suddenly she knew exactly who and what she was. Amelia left the White Rabbit in a hurry. She didn't have much time according to Gold.

"Amelia, wait! You can't just run after something like that!" Neal caught up with her and at least this time he had enough sense not to grab her arm.

Amelia stopped, spun around and threw her arms around his neck. She pulled him close and kissed him, making sure to keep her eyes closed tight. Her main goal was to pass something to him. It was all she could do to keep him safe, protect him from anything and everything.

Neal responded even when she went a little deeper and rougher.

She pulled back. "I love you so much Neal Cassidy. I am never going to let anything happen to you."

"I love you too. Now what is going on?" He was not ready to let her off the hook that easy.

"There's just something I need to take care of something." One more kiss then Amelia hurried off.

* * *

"I'm going to have to say no to your offer." Amelia came to the toll bridge and was only slightly shocked to find Gold waiting there for her.

Gold turned to face her. "Pity."

"Whatever you have planned, you won't win. Heroes always win and villains always lose."

"Not this time." He sounded so sure of himself and that made Amelia worried. He was the kind of person who didn't stop until he got exactly what he wanted, no matter who got hurt.

"What does that mean?" She asked, she needed straight answers so she could stop him.

"I'm changing the rules of the game. I am finally going to get my happy ending."

"You know you could have gotten your happy ending if you weren't so power hungry? If you had just been happy with what you had." She felt like a broken record, nothing was going to get through to him. So she reminded him of a very important fact. "Whatever you have planned, I'm protecting this family now. So you should be concerned."

"I'm not. Even if you can do more than duck." Gold sounded very sure of himself then he disappeared into a puff of smoke.

Amelia stared down at her hands and wished with all her heart that a certain skill wasn't so unpredictable at the current moment.

* * *

Amelia spent a day freaking out, she was on the edge. Blinky was her only company when Amelia would lock herself in a back room at the library. She had to be on her game now.

But she needed help, needed back up. So she went to the loft.

* * *

Emma was enjoying a quiet moment with Killian, her parents were out and they had the apartment to themselves. And it would have stayed like that if there wasn't a loud knocking at the door.

Emma got up and opened the door to see a very frazzled and upset Amelia in the doorway.

"Where's your booze?" No greeting or anything. Amelia just stormed inside and found the liquor cabinet. She filled up a tumbler with scotch and downed it.

"Amelia, what's wrong?" Emma asked, very worried. Scotch wasn't Amelia's go to, something was very wrong. "Is it something about Neal?"

A heartless chuckle came out of Amelia's mouth. "If it did have to do with Neal, I wouldn't be here." Then her hand covered her mouth to stifle the "oh my gods" that escaped.

"So what happened?" Emma tried again. When Amelia didn't answer and went for another shot, Emma turned to Killian. "Can you get through to her?"

Killian nodded and stood next to Amelia, watching her helplessly as she downed another shot then actually sink to her knees behind the counter. As if the world had finally broken her. He knelt down next to her and gently touched her shoulder. "Lass, you need to tell us what happened, it's the only way we can help you."

"He's back." Amelia finally got the words out and now it was real. A few glasses randomly fell off of a shelf near her head as did a pile of books in the living area.

"Who? Who's back?" Emma and Killian were confused.

"Seriously you two? Who else would I get this worked up about? Gold is back in town."

"Wait, Gold? Belle banished him. How is that even possible?" Emma shook her head disbelieving.

"How am I supposed to know? The man's loopholes have loopholes." She pulled herself to her feet, ignoring Killian's hand.

Killian opened his mouth to say something but another knock at the door stopped him. Emma went to answer it and Neal stood there.

"Neal… Amelia's here…" She started to say but Neal cut her off.

"My father is back in town." He blurted out, quite shaken.

"Aye, we know that already." Killian said.

Neal looked at Amelia confused and then concerned when he noticed the tumbler and the bottle of scotch. He couldn't get any words out.

So Amelia did it for him. "How did you know he was back?"

"I called him…" Neal looked sheepish.

_Twenty minutes earlier: _

_Neal Cassidy spent a good five minutes staring at his contact list on his cell phone. His father's cell number was still there. Was there any point in keeping it anymore? It wasn't like he was going to have a pleasant conversation with him any time soon. But part of him just wanted to make sure Gold was alright. Where did he go after being banished? What was he up to? _

_Damn it, part of Neal, part of Baelfire actually, still cared about his father. So he decided to be the bigger man and pressed dial. _

_The last thing he expected to hear was his ringtone a few feet away. When he turned around, his greatest fear came true. _

_"Dad, what are you doing back here?" He sounded angry and disappointed. _

_Gold stood there, uncomfortable under his son's glaze. "Baelfire, I can explain…"_

_"No! You don't get to talk! Everything you say is a lie! I don't know how you have the nerve to show your face in this town after your last stupid choice! Do you have any idea how much you hurt me? You keep hurting me, everything you do, I am always getting hurt! And Amelia… she had horrible nightmares after you attempted to kidnap all of us!"_

_"Son… I can explain if you just gave me a chance. I am going to make us all happy. I can do it this time." Gold attempted a step closer._

_"I don't want to hear it. We are done. I don't want you anywhere near my family."_

_Gold sighed. "I didn't want it to go this way…" And he moved his hand across Neal's face. _

_But to his confusion, nothing happened. _

_"Are you trying to magically knock me out so you can take me to a better place for a father son talk?" As confused as Neal was, he kept the upper hand. _

_Gold looked at his son, slightly scared and then he disappeared into a puff of smoke._

"So your father tried to unsuccessfully knock you out? Why did it not work?" Emma sat down, confusion washed over her.

Amelia had the tumbler to her lips but when she heard that Gold could not use his magic on Neal, the tumbler made a loud thud on the counter. For the first time in a long time, she was pleased with herself. Then she launched herself at Neal and held him tight. He responded likewise though he was slightly confused.

"Don't worry; we will take care of your father." Emma assured him. "And Amelia, please don't go anything stupid when it comes to Gold."

"It's not me he has to worry about. You know how overprotective fathers can be. It's Michael he has to worry." Amelia assured her.

* * *

"We sent Regina undercover with Cruella and Ursula. We are hoping that maybe they will let her into their little club and tell her what Gold has planned." Mary Margaret somehow got all that out in one breath when she walked into the library.

Amelia looked up. "And? Has she come up with something?"

"Yes, Gold is looking for the author. He wants a new story written, one where the villains, like him, are the heroes and the heroes, like us, are the villains. He wants a happy ending."

"That doesn't sound pleasant. How is he going to find the author?" Amelia asked.

"We don't know yet. But I will call you when I find out." Mary Margaret promised.

But Amelia felt there was more going on. "What else aren't you telling me, Mary Margaret?"

"Nothing." That response sounded so guilty.

"Mary Margaret, you can't keep a secret to save your life. Spill now."

"Maleficent is back too. We thought Emma took care of her in the basement of the library when she broke the first curse. But David and I might have had a hand in bringing her back. Now she wants revenge on us for something we did to her back in the Enchanted Forest."

"Wonderful. A villain with a chip on her shoulder." Amelia said then hung up.

* * *

A few hours later, Amelia got a phone call. August was back, in adult form. They had Pinocchio back, the man who helped Emma believe in magic so she could break the first curse. The man who knew all the secrets of the magical book entitled "Once Upon a Time."

The author was trapped inside the book.

* * *

**Gold is back, great… **

**And Snow White and Prince Charming aren't as perfect as they seem. Honestly this was my favorite episode. It made them human. **

**Umm, why wasn't Neal knocked out? **

**Question, do you think Amelia is/ was a villain? I always saw her as an anti-hero. **

**Reviews?**


	24. You were my saving grace

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Time fix a friendship and ask a few questions.**

* * *

Amelia gathered her courage and entered the pawn shop, she needed to fix a relationship. Actually she needed to fix it a while ago but she was waiting for the dust to settle. And also she wanted some answers.

The bell over her head rang and Belle looked up from behind the counter. There was a smile on her face, one that slowly dropped.

Amelia took the first step. "You alone?" Belle nodded. "I'm sorry, for not telling you about the fake dagger. I didn't want to ruin your perfect image of Gold, or at least your flawed image that needs some fixing. I feel horrible that you found out the hard way."

"I was blind the whole time; I should have been smarter. You were only doing what you thought was right, to protect your… our family." Belle said. Did she still consider Amelia family? "Are we still friends?"

"I don't have friends. I have family. And yes we are family." Amelia told Belle. She smiled and came around the counter to hug Amelia.

Relationship saved. Now to ask a question. "So you and Will? What's the deal with that?" Amelia asked, not realizing she used the uncomfortable word: 'deal'.

Belle smiled. "He makes me laugh and smile. I don't really know exactly what we are right now. He makes me feel special and happy."

Amelia nodded. "Your happiness is all that matters. But if he does something stupid, I'll set him straight." She promised.

* * *

Amelia's next step was the bakery, just because she had a sudden craving for a donut. Just a random craving, one not that had a reason. She opened the door and saw Henry inside talking to Helen.

"Thank you and don't tell Granny that I switched my daily snack place." He was saying.

"My lips are sealed. Just like they are about her "fresh" lasagna. It's all frozen." Helen said with a smile on her face.

Henry smiled back and turned around to see Amelia. "Hi Mom."

"Hi Henry, get to school." She told him before placing a kiss on his head. She watched him go. And something dawned on her. "You know," She directed her observation to Helen. "Since Henry is going to be my step son soon, technically he's your grandson. Which means you can stop bugging Jordan and Aiden to have kids." Amelia smiled, sitting down.

Helen brought a tray of freshly made donuts to the table. "It still amazes me that the Evil Queen raised him and he turned out so well."

"Regina's a good person; she changed so much when she found some reason to be good. She's a hero." Amelia said taking a donut.

"How are you doing?" Helen checked in with Amelia often, just to make sure she was properly dealing with her loss. Neal had told her about the make shift funeral service the three of them had.

"Good days, bad days, and really bad days." Amelia said honestly. She wasn't going to lie to her mother, about this at least.

"What's a really bad day?"

"Walking into Ashely's "Mommy and Me" class and knowing you are supposed to be a part of it." Amelia answered, choking back a tear.

"Sweetheart you so strong. You are a hero."

Amelia shook her head. There were so many things that Helen did not know about. "I'm no one's hero."

Helen decided to share a secret with her daughter. "I had a miscarriage also. A few years after the twins were born. It happened very early on, Charles didn't even know I was pregnant yet. I grieved so much, it was like I lost a piece of myself. About a week later, Charles went into the woods and found something that saved my life."

Amelia had no idea what Charles could have found. "What was that?"

Helen squeezed Amelia's hand. "You. You were my saving grace. You are my hero."

Amelia smiled, she felt wonderful. Then from the back room came music.

Helen turned around. "Did Nathan sneak in the back and turn on the radio?" She sounded confused. Amelia said nothing and just enjoyed the music.

* * *

The following day found Amelia and Neal in Granny's for lunch. Neal ordered a lasagna and Amelia bit back a laugh. Neal shot her a confused look. "I'll tell you later." She whispered. She would tell him, when they were well out of ear shot of the elderly lady who had wolf powers.

They were just finishing up when it happened, something very bad. Suddenly everyone in the dinner slumped over, as if suddenly asleep. Something was very wrong.

"What is going on?" Neal looked around, confused and scared. But Amelia knew instantly, it was a sleeping curse. Most likely set by Maleficent, for what purpose, Amelia didn't know, yet. But she had to take care of Neal first. While he was distracted by the sudden sleeping people, she applied some gloss to her lips. She stood up and sat next to him in the booth. Then she grabbed Neal's face and kissed him soundly.

He froze then she let go and dropped him gently to rest his head on the wall. Her newest batch of kiss of death was useful; she hadn't planned on using it. Now it would look like the curse hit him also. She was grateful at the moment. This allowed her to get to the bottom of things and she doubted she had much time. Suddenly there was movement outside and Amelia threw herself over the counter. She held her breath and waited. Then she heard a voice that she instantly recognized.

"Baelfire, I'm sorry for everything I ever did to hurt you. I never wanted you hurt, I just wanted you to be happy and safe. And I am never going to stop until you are."

Part of Amelia wanted to vomit while part of her was impressed and wanted to believe him. Gold may not be a good person, but he always cared about his son. And she had more of a reason to find out the plan. She slightly regretted not joining Gold's Angels. She would have inside information. At least Regina was on their side.

The diner became quiet and Amelia peeked over the side. It was empty. She stood up and walked outside. The sleeping curse hit everyone she saw. Amelia had to rack her mind, was anyone immune to it?

Someone had to be because an arm snaked around her waist. Amelia bit back a scream but her fist spoke for her. But it fell when she saw David and Mary Margaret.

"How…?" Amelia started to ask.

"We both already were under a sleeping curse, it's an one-time thing." Mary Margaret explained. Oh that made sense. "How are you not asleep?"

"After all my run ins with the fairies…" Amelia shrugged her shoulders. That reason worked. "I think now would be a good time to tell me what you guys did to Maleficent."

David and Mary Margaret looked uncomfortable. "She lost her child because of us."

Amelia's jaw dropped and her eyes bugged. "You did what? Explain, now."

"Before Emma was born, we were told she had the potential for good and evil. So in order to make sure she was good, we needed to remove her potential for evil. And we took Maleficant's egg so it could harbor the evil. We were planning to give it back but a portal opened and the egg fell in." Mary Margaret said.

"We have no idea what happened after that, if the child even survived." David finished.

What could Amelia possibly say? As a woman who lost a child and had no one to blame, she could almost sympathize with Maleficent. "Why would you double cross a villain? What were you thinking?"

"You never backstabbed someone?" David was annoyed at her outburst; they didn't deserve it.

"Only if I knew I could handle them if they came looking for me." And that was the truth. There were some villains Amelia would never double cross. She stormed off from them, leaving Snow White and Prince Charming alone to figure out what to do next.

* * *

**So now I can comment on Wil Scarlet. Why was he with Belle? He should be in Wonderland with Anna. She is his True Love. **

**OMG, the mother daughter moment! **

**And yeah, Amelia didn't fall under the sleeping curse and neither did Neal. What could be going on? **

**Reviews?**


	25. None of this is okay

**I do not own Once Upon a Time**

**So, not my finest moment but things are going to get crazy soon, in like 2 chapters. Please stick with me, and Amelia.**

* * *

Neal woke up a few hours later, still in the same seat and Amelia was across from him. She was already awake.

"What happened?"

"The town was hit by a sleeping curse. No idea what happened."

Gold was now down one Angel, Ursula had left town, apparently with her father. Killian had a hand in supplying the former mermaid with her happy ending. Amelia couldn't hide her smile when she was told. Killian had turned over a new leaf, turned into a hero. Which sadly meant, that if Gold succeeded, Killian would lose his happy ending.

Killian caught up with Amelia later with disturbing news. Ursula had told him that Gold was planning on turning Emma Dark. She was the Savior who brought the happy endings, and only she could take then away or rewrite.

"I don't like the idea that someone can take away my happy ending. I worked too hard for it." Amelia shook her head.

"Do you think it's possible?" Killian asked worried.

Amelia looked at him sadly. "Anything is possible. But going Dark is purely circumstantial, any one could go down that route. You just have to surround yourself with good people who care about you and not get too emotionally involved."

"I don't think it's going to happen. Emma is pure good magic; she wouldn't fall into one of the Crocodile's traps."

"Just think positive and be there for her. Killian, have you found your happy ending?" Amelia asked. Killian only gave her a small smile, which she returned. She could still read him like an open book. "It's Emma, it's it?"

"Aye."

* * *

The group met up at Granny's, Regina had an important development. David, Mary Margaret, Emma, Killian, Amelia, Neal and Robin, most of the group sat around the table, Amelia sat on the counter, Neal's hand on her knee. She had a strong feeling she was not going to like what Regina had to say.

"Gold has more reasons for the author than to just get his happy ending. He's dying, the darkness in his heart, the darkness from the Dark One is taking over. Soon there wouldn't be any Gold left, only the Dark One." Regina informed them.

"That selfish…" Amelia started to say but stopped when she looked down at Neal. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry." He squeezed her knee. "It's okay."

"No, he's your father. He's only thinking about himself. Not you or Belle. It's not okay, none of this this okay." She almost had a mini breakdown but calmed herself.

"How did you find this out, Regina?" Mary Margaret asked.

Regina looked slightly guilty. "Belle volunteered. I took her heart and she went to Gold to ask him what his plan was." There was a gasp around the table. "She volunteered, do not blame me. Who else was he going to tell, his son?"

"I'm not on speaking terms with my father, so Belle was a better choice." Neal sadly agreed.

"So now what?" David asked.

"We find the author before Gold does." Regina said. The group then separated. Amelia noticed that Mary Margaret and David made sure that Emma went home with them. So their guilt was finally catching up with them and they needed to get it off their chests.

"Well, that is going to go over well." Regina said under her breath.

Amelia looked at her confused. "You know?" Regina had shock in her eyes. "Guess Mary Margaret had to tell someone. I kind of forced it out of her. Not my proudest moment."

Now how was Emma going to react to knowing that her parents put the life of an innocent in danger just to protect her?

* * *

Pissed didn't even begin to cover it. Amelia received that distressing phone call later from David.

"She's not talking to us, it's like we don't exist to her." He sounded so broken.

"And you're surprised? You acted selfish and condemned an innocent child to a horrible fate just because you were scared that your daughter wouldn't be perfect." Amelia held back fully lashing out. She couldn't take talking to David anymore so she hung up.

But it rang again, was David trying to talk to her? But this time it was Regina. And Amelia answered the phone.

"We figured out how to get the author out of the book. The page from the book, with the door, it just needed a key." Regina said very fast, like she was trying to get everything out in a limited amount of time,

"So we just need a key?" Amelia asked.

"Henry found the key. We are going to free the author later today."

"Alright, let me know how that goes. I have to check on Neal." Amelia said, she didn't want to be near David or Mary Margaret or even a very mad Emma.

* * *

Amelia spent the next few hours with Neal, doing her best to answer his questions about the failed sleeping curse. "Maybe your father is protecting you, it's a thought." She told him.

A phone call saved her from more questions that she did not want to answer. It was Regina. Was it bad that she was the one Amelia wanted to talk to?

"Is the author free?" Amelia asked.

"Yes he is. Apparently Mary Margaret and David know him, as the person who set them on the path to get rid of Emma's evil potential. All of this was his idea, his creation. We have just been characters to him." There was some venom in her voice and Amelia did not blame her.

"So Emma has some questions for him?"

"Yes, we are holding him in the cottage in the woods. It's protected by magic. So unless the ancient magic person shows up, he's safe in our hands. Gold can't touch him." Regina said then hung up.

Right because Regina's magic would stop ancient magic, they were so clueless. Amelia hoped they stayed that way for as long as possible. But what to do about the author?

About half an hour, her phone rang again. Now what? Then a sick feeling settled in her stomach. It wasn't a call coming though, it was a video. From Henry. When she hit play, her heart dropped.

Cruella had a death wish, she had kidnapped Henry. This was Henry's call for help to her. Well, not just her, it was sent to Emma and Regina also. Yes, these three women who are also mothers, it was a brilliant idea.

Cruella wanted Emma or someone to kill the author. Amelia would gladly do it, no one played her like a puppet.

"Neal, Cruella is being stupid and we need to go save Henry, now." She grabbed his hand and headed to the cottage in the forest.

But Emma and Regina got there first along with Killian and a guilty Mary Margaret and David. Henry was safe, he had gotten away and found his mothers. And Cruella? Amelia entered the clearing to see Emma standing on a ledge, looking down. Amelia stepped next to her.

"Hey, you ok?" She asked, and then looked down. Cruella was at the bottom of the small mountain, clearly dead.

Had Emma done that? Was she going dark like Gold had wanted?

* * *

**Like I said, not my finest moment.**

**Reviews?**


	26. Change the balance in the town

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**This is a super long chapter. It's nice friend bonding time. **

* * *

Amelia had an unexpected visitor in the library the following morning. As the mistress of all evil, Maleficent didn't have the best fashion sense. Or at least that's what Amelia thought.

"Can I help you with something?" Amelia asked. She was very cautious but not concerned. Villains didn't concern her anymore.

"I need your assistance. The Dark One highly recommends you." Maleficent said.

"He recommended me? For what pray tell?" She had no idea where this was going.

"That you can find people."

Oh, yes. Gold would be eternally grateful to her for finding Neal. But she couldn't be much help. "I can't leave town, so I wouldn't be helpful. Emma would be better." Amelia said.

"Me? Call upon the Savior for help? Well, if I must." Maleficent turned to go.

"Wait!" Amelia stopped her. "Who are you looking for?" She was curious.

"My daughter."

"Your daughter? She survived the portal jump? She's safe somewhere in this world?" Amelia was impressed and felt there was hope for the mother. Maleficent looked shocked at the amount of knowledge the librarian had about things she never would have known about. "I might have forced it out of Mary Margaret and David. Then scolded them."

Maleficent nodded then studied the woman in front of her. "You also lost a child." Amelia blinked back a sudden tear. Was she that transparent? "There's a light missing in your eyes."

Oh. "I had a miscarriage about a year ago." Even though she knew Maleficent was a villain, Amelia felt she could open up. "I still have good days and bad days."

"How do you manage the bad days?"

Amelia smiled then looked down at her hand. "Neal. He's my rock. He's so strong and understanding. He's my True Love."

"You're lucky to have one of those. Looks like I have to pay the Savior a visit now." Now Maleficent could leave.

Amelia leaned against the front desk. At least there was hope for Maleficent. And one day, Amelia and Neal would have their own little bundle of joy.

* * *

Emma made up her mind rather quickly. She wanted to get away from her parents for a little while. And Amelia couldn't blame her. But what did slightly shock her was that Regina was going with Emma to Boston. Maybe the plan was for the newly reformed Evil Queen to keep a close eye on the potentially dark Savior.

They were heading to Boston. Talk about a small world. Maleficent's daughter had crossed paths with Emma during their childhood. They had been friends before having a fall out. Emma wasn't saying much on the topic. According to the information Emma found online, Lily lived in Boston. Which oddly enough, had been where Emma lived before coming to Storybrooke.

Amelia and Neal were part of the sendoff party. Henry said good bye to both of his moms. Robin and Roland said good bye to Regina. Mary Margaret attempted to say something to her daughter. But Emma cut her off with a death glare. David placed a hand on Mary Margaret's shoulder to calm her down. Then Emma looked at Amelia and Neal. "Look after Henry."

Neal nodded. Amelia thought it was a knife through the heart to not trust her own parents with her son.

Killian said his own good bye, encouraging words no doubt. About darkness and not giving in to it. Amelia had to admit, they were good together as long as Emma was open.

Regina and Emma climbed into the yellow beetle and drove away. Henry stood there for a few more minutes before walking in the direction of the school.

Neal leaned over to Amelia and whispered in her ear. "Was I that bad when I was mad at my father?"

"You mean the man you sat next to in a booth and didn't talk to when we got engaged?" Amelia responded.

"Good point."

Amelia looked over at Killian. He seemed so lost without Emma. But she wouldn't be gone long, unlike last time where it was a year. She was going to do her job and come back to her family. Finally, Amelia wasn't scared that Emma was going to run off.

Amelia walked over to Killian. "You should come over for dinner tonight. I can assume that things are tense at the loft."

Killian smiled. "Just slightly, nothing I can't handle."

"You're coming over for dinner, Killian." She said sounding very final.

"If you insist." He gave in. "What time?"

"Five thirty is good."

"Maybe Amelia will make you a monochromatic meal." Neal had quietly stepped up to her side. Amelia gave him a down death glare. He got the hint and added. "I hope you like hamburgers because that's what I'm making for dinner."

"Damn straight you're making dinner. See you later Killian."

"Alright Ginger Snaps, let's go." Neal wrapped an arm around her waist.

She raised an eye brow at him, confused. "Ginger Snaps?"

"When a red head goes crazy, Ginger Snaps." Neal explained and Amelia had no idea what to say.

* * *

Neal was in the bedroom later that day changing his shirt when he noticed the strange mark on the inside of his arm. Upon closer inspection, he discovered it was a silver mark, like a tattoo. He gently poked it, it didn't hurt. When and how did he get that?

There was a soft hum behind him and Neal actually jumped slightly. "Could you not sneak up on me?" He asked the ball of light floating near his head. Blinky had kept her distance from him since entering Storybrooke. Maybe she was figuring out of he was like his father. Blinky then sank down to his arm to examine the mark. "You proud of your work? You fell asleep on me?" He asked. He hated the one sided conversation he had with Blinky, Neal would love to be able to understand the ball of light. He actually imagined she had Amelia's snarky altitude.

_I didn't do that. _ That snarky remark floated across his mind.

Neal almost fell over in shock. Did he just…? Was that…? "Can I now understand you?" He asked Blinky.

No answer, she just left the room as quickly as she came.

Neal shook his head. That was one strange guardian spirit.

* * *

Killian knocked on the door just as Neal was putting the burgers on the portable grill in the kitchen. Amelia let him in and they joined Neal.

"It's rude to show up at someone's house empty handed, so after consulting Henry, here's a plate of cookies from the bakery." Killian placed the tray on the island.

"Thanks. Normally people bring wine, but there's enough alcohol here." Neal said, flipping the burgers.

Amelia left the room to clear off the table. This left Neal and Killian alone. Neal rolled up his sleeve and Killian noticed something odd.

"What happened there, mate?" Killian asked.

"I just noticed it today. I thought Blinky fell asleep on me or something but according to her, she didn't do it. So I don't really know what happened." Neal didn't sound concerned at all.

Killian, on the other hand, was very worried but kept it to himself. That mark had magic written all over it. When had Baelfire, or rather Neal, come in contact with a magical being? Was he marked in some way? There was someone who cared about Neal more than anyone else in the world. Someone would always go to always go to crazy extremes to safeguard their loved ones. And Killian would confront that person after he ate a hamburger. Whatever that was.

* * *

it was a nice spread. Amelia and Neal pulled out of the stops. Hamburgers, buns, two kinds of cheese, ketchup, mustard, relish, lettuce, pasta salad, potato salad, green salad, pickles and salad. They would defiantly be to leftovers; Henry would have to come over the following night.

"Amelia's this is impressive." Killian complimented her.

She smiled. "Well I never only do half the job."

Killian choked on his soda at that comment. He had to hit his chest a few times. "Sorry, went down the wrong pipe." He said when Neal looked at him strangely.

Amelia then understood and simply rolled her eyes.

"So how does this hamburger work?" Killian asked.

"It's simple. Bun, patty, and then any fixings you want." Neal explained as he made his own.

Amelia watched him with a critical eye. Bun, burger, cheese. "Monochromic much?" she smirked.

Neal looked up with a challenge in his eyes. At that, he placed a piece of lettuce. "Color. You happy now?"

"Very." Amelia leaned over the chair and kissed his cheek.

Killian smiled. Amelia was so light and carefree with Neal. And they clearly had inside jokes.

"So how is Marian doing?" Neal asked when the three of them sat down at the table.

"She's adjusting very well. She went through so much in a short amount of time." Amelia said. Marian was busy with the dress shop. Storybrooke still needed a reason to wear Marian's beautiful creations.

"She's so understanding about Robin moving on." Neal said then turned to Amelia. "If something ever happened to me, I would want you to move on. Be with someone, I wouldn't want you to be alone."

Amelia freaked out and grabbed Neal's hand. "Don't talk like that. I could never get over you. We are True Love. I have done things for you that I never did for anyone else." She was completely honest with him.

Neal smiled and leaned over for a kiss. And it did not escape Killian's notice that Amelia's hand tightened on Neal's arm.

* * *

They ate and laughed, swapping stories of adventures spanning three different realms. They cleaned up and opened up Killian's plate of cookies. And to further the fun, Amelia brought over a coffee can.

"And what are we doing with that? Neal asked. She grinned and opened the top. Inside was not coffee beans both men were expecting. It was full of beer caps. "Amelia, I think you might have a problem." Neal's eyes bugged at the amount of cars.

"Not really. This is twenty-eight years' worth between four people. So it's not a problem. These are from Ballantine Ale, there's a rebus on every cap."

"So it's a puzzle." Killian took one from the can and studied it. It read 'Eye, th, ink pot, the, circle, of u.' This was going to be a challenge, but Captain Hook was always up for a challenge.

Neal picked one and seconds later, "Got it. Easy come, easy go." He looked pleased.

"You got an easy one. What about this one?" Amelia handed him another one. Then she looked down at her own. "Don't call us, we'll call you."

"Show off. Take me out to the ballgame." Neal said.

And Killian still sat there confused.

"You need a help there?" Amelia asked. Killian just nodded. She leaned over and pointed to one symbol. "That's a world."

Well that wasn't helpful, until he actually thought about it. "I think the world of you." He said, a grin growing on his face.

"There you go, here take another one." Amelia handed him another one. Now things were easy. "You've got a point there."

The three of them kept going, getting through puzzles that read "Sharp as a tack", knight in shining armor", "You are a barrel of laughter", and "Music to my ears." There was one in peculiar that stuck home for them. "The ruler hand ted 4 wrist." "The Enchanted Forest." Finally, one stumped them for a good few minutes until Amelia screamed.

"I got it!" She had been sitting on the arm of the couch. "Move over." She wedged herself between Killian and Neal. "That's a bowling alley…"

"How on earth is that a bowling alley?" Neal asked, squinting at the tiny cap.

"Trust me, it's a bowling alley. So it's Tallyho."

"These rebuses must be easier after you have had a few beers." Killian commented.

"You did well, you got "No place to go but up"." Neal said.

"I did, didn't I?" He looked happy with himself.

* * *

When they all had their fill of puzzle solving, the night was over but Killian still had one thing on his mind. He gathered up his courage and walked into the kitchen to confront his former lover. "Thank you for dinner, lass." He started off slow and casual.

"Any time, Killian. Maybe when Emma comes back, you both can come over." She paused her drying for a moment. "Wow, I just suggested a double date."

Killian didn't understand the concept but he asked the asked the burning question on his mind. "What have you done for Neal that you never did for anyone else?"

He didn't see the smile that crossed her face with her back to him. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She thought there was a hint of jealousy in his voice. But when she turned to face him, there was a look for complete seriousness.

Her smile faded. He wanted to know the truth. And as always, she did not want to tell him.

"What did you do?" He asked, a bit more forceful when he saw her pull back. "Who did you go to?"

"Who said I went to someone? Who even said I did anything?" She became defensive.

"It's you. You always save the people you love by doing the craziest thing that you can think of." He took a step towards her. "And you're not telling Neal."

"And you think I'll tell you?" She asked, slightly angry.

"I'm not afraid of you, unlike maybe your love."

She stood her ground and had a staring contest with the pirate captain. She broke first though and that never happened. Her shoulders dropped. "It doesn't matter if I did anything. Neal is safe."

"What did you do? What trouble did you get yourself into?"

"I thought trouble was my middle name?"

"Bernadette…" He growled her name and took a step towards her, something that in the past would have been threatening.

"Killian…" She tried to put him at ease. But there was very little she could say. "I… didn't go to anyone. I don't need… anyone. I have everything under control. Please trust me. There is …nothing to worry about."

He did realize she was being careful with her choice of words. That could only mean she trouble, deep trouble. And of course, she wasn't going to say a word. But what more could he do? He sighed. "If you need help…"

"I know where to turn." She gave him a small smile.

Killian finally backed down and left the room.

Blinky flew in and hummed.

"I'm under strict orders not to tell anyone." Amelia said. "And he is the last person I would tell."

More humming.

"Of course I'll break. That is going to be interesting. It would change the balance in the town." She downed a shot.

Amelia waited a few minutes before going into the hallway to say good bye to Killian.

"Thank you both for a wonderful evening. I'm going to retire to Granny's for the night." Killian said.

"You going to look for a place of your own soon?" Neal asked.

Killian shook his head. "Granny's is fine. I don't need much, just a place to hang my hat."

Amelia chuckled. "You don't have a hat."

"I used to. Navy days, it was giant and very official." Killian brought his hand and hook up to give them a visual on the size.

Both Amelia and Neal stared at him oddly.

"So glad I didn't know you back then." Amelia said honestly. Back then, she had no need for a straight laced naval officer.

Killian left the apartment. Neal wrapped an arm around Amelia's waist. "You're trying to picture him with a hat, aren't you?"

"Yes. And he's getting his own place when Emma gets hers." Amelia said and Neal agreed.

* * *

**You know things are bad when Amelia, who is never afraid to say something, is being careful with her words. Everything is coming out in the open in the next chapter. Now is it going to be a good or bad thing? **

**Reviews?**


	27. Was it a good reason?

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**So I had a ton of fun writing this chapter. Everything has been leading to this, Amelia's big secret. Enjoy. And it did not come out of left field. I have been dropping hints along. This will make her more awesome, or dangerous. You be the judge.**

* * *

Emma and Regina returned to Storybrooke two days later, with Lily in tow. The young woman didn't really like look Maleficent, she had much darker hair and better fashion sense. And she didn't look happy to meet her mother. Maybe she was just overwhelmed. Maleficent was the Mistress of all Evil. There was a short reunion, one that everyone who had gathered to greet Emma and Regina left them alone.

"How was Henry?" Emma asked Amelia and Neal.

"He was good; he had him over for dinner last night and made sure he got to school on time. All of his homework is done too." Amelia assured her. She felt like a real mother. "And we had Killian over for dinner the night before."

"Amelia suggested a double date." Neal said.

Emma looked relived. "Maybe, when all this calms down. Actually, the sooner the better. I still need distance from my parents."

And Emma was still on that band wagon. Maybe she just needed a good knock in the head. As much as Amelia did not agree with Mary Margaret and David lying to their daughter and putting an innocent in danger, they were still her parents. And maybe parents did crazy things to insure their child's safety.

The author was still in the cabin in the woods. Gold hadn't tried to get him, yet. David and Mary Margaret had been over there often, trying to get answers about everything from him. But he was silent. If Amelia could get her hands on him, he would sing.

Regina had found out that Gold needed not only the author, but Emma's blood to charge a magical pen to change the direction of his life.

Maleficent and Lily finally had their bonding moment, after Lily turned into a dragon. Maleficent had asked for help from Mary Margaret and David. They had experience dealing with a daughter who did not trust them.

Emma came to her parents' rescue after Mary Margaret was hurt. Emma finally forgave them. Now both families were fixed.

* * *

But it seemed that Gold stopped at nothing to get what he wanted. He finally showed up in the middle of town. Maleficent and Lily were off bonding so defending the town was just the usual group of people: Emma, Killian, Regina, Robin, Mary Margaret, David, Amelia and Neal.

Gold didn't say much, which was a first for him. He just started throwing fireballs around. "I know you're hiding the author from me, dearies. I don't need the author for long, just long enough to change everything." He threw a ball of magic at a building, reducing a wall to a pile of rubble. And magically, the only ones who could stand up against Gold were Emma and Regina.

It was hardly a fair fight. Emma and Regina were light magic users, well Regina was today anyway. And Gold was just a powerful hungry crazy person. Someone had to get up or down to his level.

Amelia found herself, for lack of a better word, hiding between two buildings with everyone else. Piles of buildings were falling around them.

"David, we have to do something to help them!" Mary Margret yelled. David nodded and made a move to get back into the street but he was propelled back.

"Unless any of you suddenly have magic, Swan and Regina are on their own." Killian addressed the worried group.

Amelia closed her eyes and just focused. "I got this." She said quietly and suddenly felt all eyes on her. Amelia took her hand out of Neal's and pushed herself off the brick wall behind her. "I said I got this." She opened her eyes, instead of the normal brown, they were yellow. A ball of wind appeared in the palm of her hand.

What was there for anyone to say? Mary Margret, David, Killian, Robin and Neal were staring at her speechless, but she could tell a million things were running through their minds. Starting with: "What the hell was going on with Amelia?"

Amelia shot them a crooked smile before casually strolling into the street, right into the heat of the battle.

Mary Margaret turned to Neal, one question in her eyes.

"No, I had no idea." He answered and then looked out in the direction that Amelia walked. All he knew for sure was that his father was in deep trouble.

Regina and Emma thought they were doing well enough. But the tide turned when Gold was blasted off his feet by a force that came from behind them. They turned to see Amelia walking towards them, a ball of energy spiraling between her hands.

"You girls might want to take a step back. Let the grownups play." Amelia told them. Her voice was almost the same; there was a slight edge to it now. Regina and Emma were too shocked to do anything besides listen to the resident librarian.

Gold slowly got to his feet and just stared shocked at his future daughter in law.

"The last person you expected to see, isn't it?" Amelia asked cruelly. She was completely ready to let her emotions take hold of her. "I heard you're dying. Sadly, for you, I don't have any good form about fighting an invalid." She threw another blast of air at him, this time he stayed on his feet, just barely.

"You know; this is not how I imagined revealing myself. I had planned on doing it slow and small." She caught sight of herself in a store window. Pink top under a white leather jacket and purple pants. She crinkled her nose in disgust. "And I certainly did not plan on wearing this." Her hand moved in a spiral in front of her, a form appeared, then she threw it over her head.

Now her entire persona changed. Amelia's red hair had a tighter curl; her eyes stayed yellow and were heavily lined with black. Her light and airy outfit was replaced completely. It was all black with touches of bronze, the top was sleeveless and short, showing off all the hours she put in at the gym. Her skirt reached her ankles while the slits reached well above her knees, revealing the mile-high heels on the boots.

Amelia gave her reflection the once over. "Much better." She smiled then turned back to Gold. "Now where were we?"

He didn't answer, there was fear in his eyes. He attempted to throw a fire ball at her.

She blocked it, sending it harmlessly away. "Tut tut. Was that really wise? This is ancient magic you're dealing with now." Deal, she made herself chuckle.

"So you're the one with the ancient magic?" He didn't even bother attempting to hide the panic in his voice.

"In the flesh." She gave him a mock bow. A yellow cloud of smoke appeared in her hand. "Impressive, right? What do you think of my abilities? I have more power in my little finger than you do in your entire body. Do you have any idea how amazing this feels?" Amelia got almost giggly. "I understand you better now, Dark One." She rarely used his title. "Having all this power in the palm of your hand. It's exhilarating. Now I know why you didn't want to give it up. I haven't felt this powerful in so long." And she never stopped throwing bursts of wind at him.

Gold now breathing heavy, her attacks were catching up to him. "Miss Hunter, take it easy. We can talk this out. I thought we were on good terms." He tried to reason with her.

"Good terms?!" She didn't yell but the venom in her voice was enough. "You have an odd definition of good terms." She made ball of electricity appeared in her hand. She stared at it, fascinated then she threw it at Gold. He attempted to block it, but couldn't. He fell to the ground.

"Did you fall down? Here, let me help you up." Amelia said throwing him into the air. He wasn't up there long before he came crashing down to the ground like a rag doll. "You saved me from death all those years ago for a reason. Now are you asking yourself if it was a good idea? Was I worth saving?"

Maybe he could try a different approach, one that wouldn't get him killed or worse. Maybe if he threw her own words back at her. "You had better be careful, Miss Hunter, playing with fire and all. You might get burned."

But that only spurred her on further. "Darling, I can't get burned when I'm the flame." She said, a cruel smile growing on her face. Now she was done playing nice. A fire ball appeared in her hand and she flung it art him, closely followed by another and another and another. And the language coming out of her mouth changed. Something other worldly and very angry. She knew her friends were still hiding behind the building didn't understand a word. There was a slight chance Gold did but Amelia didn't care. She just needed to get out the anger and frustration even if it was in an ancient language.

She stopped her attack. Gold was bleeding, good she hurt him. "Now, go back and rethink your plan with this new me in the mix." Amelia told him. For once, he listened to her and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Amelia closed her eyes, that took a lot out of her. She strove to regulate her breathing and readjust her eyes. She hadn't felt that alive in years. Oh, she missed being able to do all of this. A smile crossed her face.

Then she felt the tiniest touch on her arm. She opened her eyes to meet Neal's wide eyes. He was speechless and a little impressive.

"So, we need to talk." Amelia carefully began. She knew the conversation was coming and that Neal wouldn't be the only one there.

"You think?" He asked. "This is the rainy day?" He sounded hopeful.

She shook her head. "No, this is just the tip of the iceberg."

Now the rest of the group was in the street, just staring at her.

"That was very impressive, Miss Hunter. Where does a bounty hunter learn skills like that?" Regina asked, trying to hide the shock and fear in her voice.

Before Amelia was able to answer, the apprentice himself came into the scene. And he was furious. "What did I tell you? You were not, under any circumstances, to reveal yourself to the Dark One! Or anyone!" He yelled at her.

"He was going to harm my home and my family. No one does that. I handled him well enough. Besides, he of all people should know not to mess with my family. Plus, he had long time coming." Amelia scoffed.

The apprentice huffed, she sounded so final. Her power did not put her above anyone. She had to be reminded of that important fact.

"We should get off the street…" Mary Margret said, looking around.

"The loft?" Amelia asked and the school teacher nodded. Amelia flicked her hand, surrounding the group in a cloud of yellow smoke. They reappeared in the middle of Mary Margret and David's living room.

Everyone looked over at Amelia, the bounty hunter turned… sorceress?

* * *

**OMG! She had magic!**

**Amelia will explain… well not everything but enough to get people off her back for a little while in the net chapter. **

**Reviews?**


	28. Explain yourself

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Here is Amelia's explanation for everything, which we all know, doesn't answer everyone's questions.**

* * *

"Start explaining yourself." Regina yelled when she rounded on Amelia. Out of everyone, she was the most furious.

Amelia shrugged her shoulders. "I have magic." She stated the obvious.

"We got that, how? When? We need more answers than that, Amelia." Emma said, she wasn't sure to be curious or scared.

"It's a family trait." Amelia was not ready to tell the whole truth.

The door to the bedroom opened, Belle walked out. "I just got Luke down to nap, what is all the noise out here?" She asked then stopped in her tracks to stare at Amelia. "Umm, what is going on?"

"Honestly, Belle we have no idea. We are finding out now." David told her.

"Gold said that you have ancient magic. The Blue fairy said that's what freed them. You're the one who did that…" Mary Margret was slowly putting the pieces together.

"Yeah, freeing the fairies just kind of happened…" Amelia wasn't sure what else to say.

_A few weeks ago… _

_Amelia went into the sheriff station earlier than usual and looked around. She needed to be alone if she was going to stare at the hat, wondering if the voices were real. _

_She didn't even need to focus. Yes, they were. Millions of voices in her head. Almost enough to make her fall to the ground, but she didn't. She remained upright and seemed to be more in control of it all this time._

_Before she even knew what she was doing, Amelia's hands grasped the hat and a yellow cloud began to swirl around her._

_Amelia landed hard on a floor somewhere. Her head hurt so much. She waited a moment before even attempting to stand up. Instead she just pulled herself into a sitting position._

_A gentle hand touched her shoulder. "Been some time since you had this much power, isn't it? Stay still for a moment longer. You need your eyes to change back to normal before you stand." Said a soft voice._

_"__My eyes changed color?" Amelia was only slightly confused as she finally stood up._

_"__They were yellow. You have ancient magic, don't you?" _

_Amelia leaned heavy against a table. She finally looked at the man in front of her. He was old but seemed kindly. Where had he come from? That hat? And he had asked her a question. Her head was still spinning, but she answered him. "Yes, I do have ancient magic. It's a family thing."_

_"__You're not from the Enchanted Forest are you?"_

_"__Not even close." Her witty responses were coming back, that was a good sign. "Who are you?" Amelia had questions of her own. _

_"__I am the Sorcerer's Apprentice, the keeper of his hat and his wisdom." The man answered, at least he was honest, unlike how Amelia was. "You have so much power, Bernadette. Does anyone know?" He kept pressing for answers._

_"__No, it's not something I go proclaiming around town. Besides, my magic hasn't really worked since I came to the Enchanted Forest. I like to use daggers and my fists to get a job done."_

_"__That's interesting. For the time being, do not reveal yourself to anyone. Do you hear me?"_

_"__Yes, not a word to anyone." Amelia promised and she fully intended to keep her promise. "It would only bring up other questions." _

"Okay, so you're the one who released the fairies and that winged demon. You have ancient magic." Mary Margret said the words out loud. "There's no ancient magic in the Enchanted Forest."

"Never actually said was I was from the Enchanted Forest. I came when I was four. And my magic is a family trait but when I moved realms, I lost the ability. I guess the laws of magic are different depending on the realm. So I haven't been able to use it since, not even when magic came to Storybrooke." Amelia explained.

"And now?"

Amelia was careful with her words. "Magic is… off balance back in my realm, which means that my magic is coming back." Then a gleeful smile formed on her face and she created a flame in her hand. She studied it then began to swirl it.

"Will you stop acting like a child? Magic is dangerous and takes years of training." Regina scolded her.

"Sorry I'm acting like a kid with a new toy, but I kind of am. I haven't been able to do any of this since I was four." The fire then turned into a ball of light that changed colors. "And ancient magic isn't about training, it's about instinct."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" David asked.

"Didn't seem important. I couldn't prove it, and I never thought I would get the ability back." That was the truth.

"And here I thought I knew everything." Killian said almost mournfully.

"Not even close." Then Amelia looked over at Neal, this was going to affect him the most. He hadn't really looked at her, even though he just wanted to stare at her in awe.

Blinky came buzzing into the room and angrily began to hum at Amelia. The former bounty hunter lost her cool, her eyes turned yellow and the ball of fire she was playing with was thrown in Blinky's direction. Blinky moved and the wall was burned.

"Don't you dare bring him up!" Amelia yelled. Then she strove to calm herself. She would rather her friends not see that side of her.

Emma finally stepped up and asked an awkward question. "This is going to sound like The Wizard of Oz, but good witch or bad witch?"

How was Amelia not supposed to get a little defensive about that question? "Good witch, I'm a good witch."

"Right because the show you just put on defines a good witch." Regina commented.

"Okay so maybe I took that a bit far. I got a little cocky. I just needed to get some things off my chest. Do not question my loyalty."

"Please tell me you have used your power for good since you got it back." Emma asked, hoping for a good answer.

Amelia didn't answer right away; she looked over in Neal's direction. They locked eyes before hers dropped to his arm.

He rolled off his sleeve, showing off the silver mark on his arm. "This was you?" He asked, finally able to form words.

She walked up to him and gently took his hand. "You are under my protection. Nothing can happen to you. I love you so much and I never want you in harm's way. That's why your father couldn't knock you out and why the sleeping curse didn't work on you."

"But I was asleep…" Neal was confused.

Amelia swallowed hard. "I …drugged …you…" She felt so guilty.

"You still have the kiss of death?" Killian asked.

"New batch." She said to Killian before turning back to Neal. "I had to make sure you were safe before I went off… to figure out what your father was planning."

Suddenly the door opened and there stood a very confused Henry. "Mom?"

Amelia froze. This was the last way she ever wanted Henry to see her. His adopted mother was the Evil Queen, his birth mother recently murdered someone. He did not need another mother on the verge of evil. She quickly formed a shape in her hand with magic then threw it over her head. Faster than anyone could blink, Amelia stood in the room in the same outfit she had started the day with.

"You're… magical…" Henry was shocked. After all he had seen, this couldn't that far-fetched.

"Yeah, I am. It's a long story…"

"Another question, did you curse Gold when you started screaming at him in another language?" Emma asked.

"He's still in his normal form, isn't he? No I did not curse him, I just needed to make him understand how much pain he put me through, the nightmares I had after he was banished."

"Oh those nightmares, he should pay for those." Neal agreed.

Amelia then realized that there was one person in the room who hadn't said a word since returning to the loft. "Robin…" Amelia realized he was silently boiling over with anger. "Please say something to me…"

"I have known you since we were teenagers, Bernadette. You kept this massive secret from me. Do Michael and Helen know? What about Marian? Did Derek even know? Clearly Neal had no idea, the man you want to spend the rest of your life with." Then Robin Hood just walked to the door and left the loft.

* * *

Marian received an odd phone call at the dress shop. Michael had given her a cell phone and Robin's name appeared on the screen. "Hello, Robin…"

"Marian, can you meet me at the White Rabbit? Now? I really need to talk." He sounded broken.

Marian hung up and hurried over. She was worried, was something wrong with Roland? Or Regina? She found Robin at the bar and went right over to him. He sat there with an empty mug already in front of him and he was working on a second one.

"Robin… what's wrong?" She had never been so concerned about him before.

He didn't even look at her. "Did you have any idea that Bernadette has magic?" His voice was hard.

Marian could only stare. "Magic… Bernadette? No, that's impossible. She would have told us…"

"One would think. Will caught it all on his phone." Robin pulled out his own phone and began to play a video.

Marian watched the screen as the scene unfolded. Amelia used magic against Gold and changed her outfit and use even more magic. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "Bar keep; I'll take a pint." She asked. The mug was placed in front of her and she quickly drank half of it. "How is this possible?"

"Apparently she is from another realm and it's a family thing and the skill just recently came back. We were all friends since forever. I feel like she lied to us…"

"You know Bernadette, she never lies, she just never tells us everything." Marian attempted to reason, tried to convince both herself and Robin about their friend.

* * *

Neal spent a few hours at the auto body shop, he needed some time away from everyone. Amelia, the woman who he trusted with all his heart, was magical. And not just normal magic, not sure that was an actual thing, but ancient magic was a different creature all together. He tried to keep his thoughts away from his father, how power corrupted him. That couldn't happen to Amelia, not his Amelia. She was so strong and brave and always meant well.

He walked home and unlocked the door. Strangely it was dark inside. Was Amelia home? He flipped the switch, nothing happened. There another power outage?

Before he was able to pull out his cell phone, there was a light in the hallway. And not just one, a dozen small candles lined the hallway that led to the bedroom. What was Amelia doing?

Curiosity got the best of him. And he walked towards the room. The door opened and Amelia stood there, dressed in a tiny robe.

"What's the occasion?" Neal asked.

"I'm trying to make it up to you. How I kept you in the dark about my skill. I guess I just didn't want to get my hopes up that it was back. I thought I was dreaming. Having my magic back was amazing. But I did feel horrible that I couldn't tell you." Amelia looked up at him, her eyes pleading for forgiveness and understanding.

Neal sighed and leaned in, his forehead touched hers. The things he did for her. He did love her more than anything in the world. "You are going to have to find a way to make it up to me."

She smiled and there was that mischievous look in her brown eyes. "Pretty sure I can think of something…" Then the buttons on his shirt began to open, but Neal noticed that her hands weren't touching him. "No hands, just magic." Her hands did lightly travel up his arms, leaving small sparks of energy in their wake. They finally touched his face and she drew him close. They locked eyes for a moment, just searching each other's' souls.

Neal picked her up in his arms; Amelia wrapped her legs around his waist. A gleeful chuckle escaped from her mouth. He leaned in to kiss her but stopped short. "These are a fire hazard." He motioned to the candles on the floor.

Oh, watch this." She moved her hand and all the flames turned into harmless light and went to the ceiling in the bed room. It was a breath taking sight.

Neal then fell into bed on top of Amelia. He gently pressed her into the mattress.

"Just be gentle. It's my first time." Amelia whispered. Neal looked at her slightly confused. "With magic."

"So I get to be your first with something?" He sounded quite pleased with himself. "Babe, I don't care if I'm your first, second or even fifth, as long as I'm your last."

Amelia smiled up at him. "I can grantee that." She pulled him down for a much needed kiss. There was a shock of energy between them. It was dangerous and prefect, a good balance of light and dark.

* * *

**Is it interesting that Robin Hood is the maddest?**

**Reviews?**


	29. Good cop, bad cop

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**If anyone missed psycho Amelia from story one, you are in for a treat. This scene was fun to write. So, just a slight explanation, Amelia is having magic isn't an issue, she has it under control unlike when Emma was discovering hers. But what is to be worried about is why she had her magic now.**

* * *

Amelia may or may not have been avoiding her family and Marian and Robin. She knew they would have questions, so many questions. Where was home, what else could she do? She spent the next few days testing her magic, she was just doing simple things, like moving objects and making items appear in her hand. Her show in the street was really only the tip of what she could do, but there was a nagging thought in the back of her mind. Something that had been drilled in there by someone she was not on good terms with at the moment. All magic came at a price.

And Amelia knew the price. Blinky had told her. It would take a miracle to stop him, a miracle or extreme sacrifice. Amelia didn't care to do either of those things. Besides, as she had said, there was no way to get there or get home.

She finally got a call from David; they were going to interrogate the author. Now would she use her magic? There was nothing wrong about it, people knew, now she didn't have to hide. But Amelia had spent enough years without magic to know she didn't always need it.

Well, in all honestly, let's see what the situation called for.

* * *

Tiny was an understatement when it came to cabin. Of course there were a bunch of people in it. In addition to David and Amelia, there were Mary Margaret, Neal, Emma, Killian, Regina Robin and an adult August. Amelia was surprised to see him. August had been a young boy the last time she saw him, and before that he was slowly turning to wood.

"So you're on the police force? Whose crazy idea was that?" August asked Amelia after he greeted her.

"Prince Charming over there. They were desperate." Amelia still had issues believing she was a good guy, or at least counted on by the good guys

"Obviously. And congratulations on your engagement."

Then they turned to the author. He was a short man with brown hair. He had an annoying matter about him. But he didn't seem concerned to be tied to a chair in a cabin with very capable fairy tale characters.

And David was getting nothing out of him. He stayed silent.

"You were corrupted by the power of the quill. Your job as author was to simply record the events that happened around you, not make up your own." August was saying. He knew the most about the author and his job. The author, whose name was Isaac, had been chosen by the apprentice years ago.

Amelia drummed her fingers on the table she was sitting on. Robin wouldn't look at her, not that she could really blame him. And Isaac just sat there, taking it all. What did he think was going to happen? She wanted to do something, anything. Maybe she could work her magic. Well, her skills of persuasion and who said she couldn't play with Isaac a little first?

"David, let me give it a whack." Amelia offered. No one was sure if she meant a real whack.

David nodded then stepped aside, unaware what the former bounty hunter had planned. Amelia pulled a chair over and the straddled the back of it, studying the man in front of her. Isaac looked at her curiously.

"I know you have been stuck in a book for a long time, so you might not understand the phrase, but here is how we are going to play this. It's a game called 'good cop, bad cop'." Amelia grinned.

"And I'm guessing you're the bad cop?" He asked, not sounding scared.

"No, I'm really bad cop. Now you are going to tell us everything that we want to know." She could be nice.

"Or what, you'll use your magic on me? Make me talk?"

Amelia chuckled. "Honey, I have lived enough years to know I don't have to rely on magic. I can make you do things with just these." She held up her hands. "Now, we can do this the hard way or the easy way. Seriously, it's all your choice. What is it going to be?" There was silence. "Bad choice." Amelia got up and walked around to Isaac's back.

"What are doing back there?" He asked, now there was a bit of fear in his voice. Good.

"Well since you have messed up everyone's lives in this room; I seriously doubt anyone of them want you writing ever again. So you don't need your fingers." Amelia answered casually. Then something metal appeared in Amelia's hand. She was very careful not to let anyone see it.

It touched Isaac's pointer finger. "No, stop!" He yelled, trying to keep his fist closed.

"You really think that is going to stop me? I know the body; I know there are places to touch that will open your hand…" Her fingers found the spot, right at his wrist. "Just like magic." Isaac's hand opened and now there was metal around his finger.

He let out a yelp. Now he was terrified, as he should be.

Amelia continued to play. "Shockingly, I really don't want to do this. It would just be messy and these pants are cute. Right, these are cute pants?" She moved one leg to the side, not that Isaac was looking. "And if my shoes got dirty, oh I don't even want to think about that. I love these boots." That wasn't a lie, she did love the black boots.

"Please don't cut off my fingers!"

"Then tell us what we want to know. It's very simple, why don't you understand the concept?" Amelia sounded disappointed. She kept her eyes downcast. She didn't want to see the look of horror in everyone's eyes. Also, the look of glee in her own. She was enjoying this a bit too much.

Isaac broke, and his words rattled out words that he hoped would save his life. "I just made the story more interesting. You were all leading boring lives. The good guys were winning and leading good lives with no problems. The villains always lost. Things needed to change. And only I had the power to do something. I could change the landscape of the story. Do anything I wanted. And I regret none of it." Isaac sounded pleased and relived that now he could keep his fingers.

"David, did you find that sufficient?" Amelia finally addressed someone else in the room, but she did not look up.

David nodded, he was scared.

"Too bad I didn't." Amelia closed the metal blades around his fingers quickly. "I do not appreciate being someone's puppet. I don't take well to manipulation."

Isaac screamed loud.

"Amelia, drop it!" Mary Margaret yelled.

Okay, the games were done. Amelia smiled and stood up and finally showed everyone what was in her hands. Two metal spoons, not the blade they thought. "Did you think I was going to do it?" Everyone in the room gave a brief nod. "I still got it." She sounded proud of her herself.

"What do we do with him now? We can't let him go or Gold will get him. Who knows how much damage he could do?" Regina asked.

"He wants the same thing I do, for the tables to turn. For the heroes to lose and the villains to win. They deserve a happy ending, deserve justice."

"Villains go about their so called happy endings the wrong way, that's what make them villains." Robin pointed out. "They hurt people, innocent people and put themselves first."

"Spoken like pathetic hero." Isaac commented.

"I think we have wasted enough time on him." Amelia remarked, she was anything but patient. Her hand began to glow and she had an idea. Amelia walked up to the Isaac and grabbed his throat. Only she didn't exactly grab his throat. Her hand pulled back, and she held a small ball of light. "Do you know what this this?" She asked, not expecting an answer. Mostly because he couldn't give one even if he wanted to. "It's your voice and you are not going to have it back until you can behave yourself. Think you can do that?"

The author didn't move. He just stared defiantly at Amelia. She shrugged her shoulders and she looked over at the fireplace. Before Isaac's eyes, a fire appeared and then he knew exactly what she was going to do. Amelia threw his voice into the fire.

There was a collective gasp from everyone in the room. The author opened his mouth to scream but of course no sound came out.

"I thought you weren't going to use magic? Or at least for the wrong reasons." Robin asked, disappointed.

"I made no such promise." Amelia answered, and then turned back to Isaac. "Oops. Now there isn't much time before there is no way I can save your voice. So I repeat myself, are you going to behave?"

The author finally nodded. She smiled and the ball flew into her hand and she shoved it into his throat.

The Isaac gasped. "I regret creating you."

"Well, you wrote my story, so you created your own monster." Amelia told him.

Now he tried to reason with everyone in the room. "So what if I made your story more enjoyable to the reader? You can't say that Neverland wasn't entertaining?"

And that was the wrong thing to say to Amelia. Neal noticed and locked eyes with Robin faster. Amelia whirled around and would have acted out her plan if Robin hadn't grabbed her first.

His arm snaked around her waist, lifting her out of the line of fire to Isaac. It seemed the men in her life knew how to stop her from hurting people. Besides, someone else was going to put that stupid author in his place.

It was Neal, a powerful punch set Isaac falling to the floor. How dare he talk about his family like that.

Amelia stared at Neal, impressed. "Nice shot."

"Thanks." Then Neal picked up Isaac and the chair. "You are going to apologize right now." Neal demand.

The Isaac remained silent. Suddenly the door was flung open and in casually walked Gold and he was anything but calm.

As freaked out as everyone was about the cabin's newest guest, Isaac was the only one who really had to be frightened.

Gold walked over to him and grabbed the front of his shirt. "You heard him, apologize to the lady right now." He almost growled.

Amelia stepped next to Neal. She was completely unsure on how to feel. She still had hatred towards Gold but she was grateful that he had her back, at the moment.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Isaac said quietly. Amelia only nodded.

"Well, now that is taken care of…" Gold addressed the room and he moved his hand across them all. Amelia knew what he wanted to do, freeze them all. So she moved her hands to protect them. Only this time, her magic did not work.

Everyone in the room froze in place. All they could do was watch helplessly.

"So you're the author of this whole story? You don't look like an author, dearie." Gold studied the man tied to the chair.

"Not sure what an author is supposed to look like. You don't look like a Dark One. You know you are quite possibly the biggest pain in the ass I have ever had the displeasure of writing about." Isaac said quite annoyed.

'Yes, you just had to write him, we actually have to deal with him.' Amelia wanted to say but couldn't in her current state.

"So you have a choice. Stay with the people who want you hurt or come with me and get the happy ending you always deserved." Gold offered him a deal.

"You mean a place where I get to keep my fingers and my voice? I'll go with you." Isaac said, wanting to get as far away from Amelia as possible.

"Good choice." He turned to leave but stopped. "There's just one thing I need." He walked to Emma, holding his dagger. He grabbed her hand and sliced it open, collecting the blood in a small vial. "The Savior's blood, the only thing that can change the happy endings."

Amelia, along with everyone else, wanted to scream. That was the last thing Gold needed in order to change everything and ruin their lives.

"Well, now that is settled, shall we go?" Gold headed to the door, expecting Isaac to follow.

He did. "Your daughter in law is crazy, might put you to shame."

Gold looked at Amelia. She would love to have been able to respond. 'Admit it, you're impressed.' But all she could do was stare.

As soon as Gold and Isaac left, the spell broken and everyone was able to move.

"Amelia, what the hell? Why didn't your magic stop him?" Emma yelled, holding her cut hand. Killian was instantly at her side.

"It wasn't for lack of trying. My magic is unstable. How much time do we have before he changes everything?"

"Maybe an hour. Depends on how much of the story he has planned out." August told them.

"Spilt up. Regina, Emma, Robin and August, go to the Sorcerer's house, try to find something there. Killian and Mary Margaret, come with me to the loft and see if the book has something. Amelia and Neal, go to the library." David yelled out orders.

Killian was the only one slightly calm. "I don't know what you are worried about. The Dark One only wants me dead."

Amelia had grabbed Neal's hand and they headed to the door. But Killian's words got her thinking.

Heroes were going to be villains, villains were going to be heroes, their happy endings were going to be rewritten. Where did that leave her? Was she a hero or a villain?

She and Neal got to the library quick but didn't know where to start. And they were running out of time.

"Neal…" She sounded broken.

"You're a hero, never doubt that." He didn't even have to ask; he knew exactly what she was thinking.

There was a tiny smile on her face, that's what she loved about him, he always knew what she was thinking. "Then that means, in this alternate story, I don't get to be with you." He looked up then walked over to her. "You're my happy ending."

"But it's my father's story, and he always wanted what was best for me. And you are the best for me. So I believe we will still be together." He sounded hopeful, but it was only to calm her fears.

"Your father… he hates me… he's scared of me…" Her voice broke.

The ground suddenly shook, apparently Gold had everything figured out for a long time and now was his time.

"Amelia, I will find you and we will be together. I promise you. I love you." Neal had her face between his hands and the world went dark.

* * *

**So hero or villain? **

**Author's note- I am looking for an artist to give Amelia a face. Either Enchanted Forest or Storybrooke, but someone to capture her whole personality. If anyone is interested, please private message me.**

**Reviews? **


	30. Content isn't the same as happy

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Amelia- hero or villain? I didn't really know, but I like the direction this took? Just picture a 180 for her. FYI- we are back in the Enchanted Forest.**

* * *

Bernadette woke up in her little cottage at the edge of her village in the Enchanted Forest. The sun was barely up but she knew she had to be. It was another day and she had chores to do. Soon enough breakfast was on the table and she was outside gathering herbs. There was a long list of patients she had to check on today.

She heard voices inside the house and smiled. This was her quiet peaceful life; with her caring, protective husband… whose arms encircled her waist at that moment.

"I knew I would find you outside, working as always." He whispered in her ear. She smiled and turned to look into his gray eyes. She had fallen head over heels in love with Benjamin the moment she set eyes on him.

"I'm always working, or doing something productive." She told him.

"Productive or helpful. That's why I fell in love with you, you are so giving." Benjamin placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. Their tender moment was cut short by two young voices.

"Mama! George took my ball and won't give it back!" A red haired boy ran out the door and into the front yard.

"No I didn't!" His younger brother yelled back, one hand held the said ball while the other one pushed his brown hair out of his eyes.

Bernadette had two rambunctious boys on her hands, a six-year-old and a four-year-old. She was constantly cooling arguments; they were good boys but acted very much like siblings.

Benjamin came to her rescue. He got down on his knees to address the younger brother. "Did you take Andrew's ball without asking him?" He asked sternly.

"Yes, I just want to play with him and he never wants to play with me." Ryan said, his lip coming out.

"Did you ask nicely?"

The child shook his head then turned to his brother. "Will you please play with me?"

"Of course, you're my little brother." Andrew walked over and hugged his brother. It was moments like this that made Bernadette's hear sing.

"Now that issue is settled, who wants to go down to the shop with me?" Benjamin asked.

Both boys' eyes lit up. They loved going to the blacksmith's shop. It was more interesting than Bernadette's healing. "Me! I do!" They both yelled.

"Then go grab your coats." Benjamin told them and the boys ran inti the house.

Benjamin stood back and smiled at Bernadette. "And to think we are going to be out numbered soon." His hand rested on her swollen stomach.

She returned his smile. Their little family was going to get bigger.

He gave her another kiss on the cheek then he and the boys headed into town. This left Bernadette alone. She smiled and her own hand now rested on her stomach. "I am hoping you are a girl." A little girl would be a perfect for their family.

About twenty minutes later, Bernadette had finished her gathering, her basket was almost overfilled. She stood up straight when she felt she was being watched.

She turned around and a young man, well he looked about thirteen maybe fourteen years old, stood there, staring at her with his mouth hanging wide open.

Bernadette was confused but she was going to be nice. "Hello there, are you lost? Do you need help?"

The word that came out of boy's mouth sent her for a tail spin. "Mom?"

Now Bernadette's face matched his. What was going on here? She had never seen this boy before in her life. And she sure wasn't her son. She only had two of them.

"Mom? I thought you said I was your mother." A woman came up behind the boy.

Bernadette recognized her instantly. She was Regina, the rightful queen of the Enchanted Forest and currently an outlaw. She was wanted for treason and murder against the evil Queen Snow White.

"She's my step mom, you're my adopted mom. It's complicated." The boy looked exhausted and annoyed.

"Regina, Queen Snow sends soldiers out every day searching for you…" Bernadette said to say. Snow scared everyone; she had dark magic and had a nasty habit of ripping out hearts.

"I shouldn't have put you in danger, I should go…" Regina said.

"I wouldn't say a word." Bernadette was a Regina supporter. Then she turned to the boy. "Look, I don't know who you are…"

"I'm Henry, your step son. Or at least I will be when you marry my dad."

Yes, she was already married but she was slightly curious. "And who's your father?"

"Baelfire, Rumplestitskin's son." Henry responded.

"The Light One's son? You did well for yourself." Regina laughed.

The Light One was a powerful sorcerer, one who stopped the Ogre War. He was a hero who always saved people in trouble. Bernadette's path had never crossed his.

"I didn't do anything. I think you have me mistaken for someone else…" She kept trying to convince him and seemed to be failing.

"I know things about you that I doubt your husband knows." Henry said.

That was impossible, Benjamin knew everything about her. She shook her head.

"You have magic."

Bernadette froze. How did this complete stranger know that about her? No, no one knew that about her. It was part of her life she didn't dwell on. "How…?"

"You put on a show in the middle of the street. It was a little bit scary. But you have to believe me."

"I don't. Will you not mess up my life? It's perfect…"

"Are you happy?" He asked, a serious look in his hazel eyes.

That made Bernadette pause. Happy was relative. "I'm content." She answered.

"Content isn't the same as happy." How old was this child? Maybe he was an old soul.

"You two should go, there could be royal soldiers around. Regina, I'll pack you some food." Bernadette turned around and went inside the house.

Regina followed her, Henry did not.

"Do you believe him?" Bernadette asked quietly.

"That he's my son. Though according to him, our son. Then there's his birth mother somewhere. It all just sounds like a poorly written story." Regina shook her head.

"But do you believe him?" Bernadette repeated her question.

"I don't know; I honestly don't know. He had a story that I belong with Robin Hood and I deserve happiness."

Bernadette finished the pack of the small sack. "I do wish you the best of luck, Regina."

"Thank you." Regina took the bag. The two women walked to the door and stooped to look at Henry.

"Take care of him, he might be important, play a big role in our lives." Bernadette said, not really sure where it came from.

"I'll do my best."

* * *

Later that day, Bernadette found herself in the next town over. She needed to meet up with her brother, somewhere away from Benjamin. She needed to do this away from prying eyes.

Where was Derrek? He was supposed to meet her here. She wandered the streets of the town and was not looking where she was going.

She knocked into someone. At least she didn't fall, that someone caught her and put her back on her feet.

"I am so sorry; I wasn't looking where I was going. I'm so clueless sometimes…" Bernadette began to say then she noticed the person who caught her.

He was, for a lack of a better word, handsome. Warm hazel eyes that saw right down to her soul. And he was saying something.

"No, it was completely my fault. I am so sorry. I hope nothing from your basket spilled out." He had let go of her waist and stood in front of her.

And they just stood there, staring at each other. Bernadette swore she heard a click. Their eyes broke apart when someone greeted the man.

"All hail the Ogre slayer's son."

The Ogre Slayer's son? That's who caught her? Who made her heart skip a beat? Just her luck. "The Ogre Slayer's son? That's impressive." She finally said something to him.

"I guess so; a lot of people owe my father everything. He's a hero. I could be your hero. What's your name?" He began to flirt and his smile made her stomach do flips. Then he noticed the ring on her finger and her stomach and immediately backed off. "Congratulations."

"Bernadette." She did tell him her name. She wanted this conversation to continue. She was fascinated by him.

"Well I hope to see you around, Bernadette." Baelfire took a chance and gently took her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles. His sleeve was pulled up and she noticed something on his arm. There was a silver mark there, a silver mark that to a normal person would look at as just a mark. But to her, it only made her curious. Then he walked off.

This left Bernadette standing in the middle of the street on the verge of tears.

* * *

She sat on a fallen log in the middle of the forest. It was quiet, she could think. She was a married woman; she was pregnant with her third child. But out of nowhere, she had feelings, strong feelings for another man. She felt horrible and guilty but she couldn't deny what she felt. Maybe Henry was right. Was she living a lie then? Where was Derrek? She needed to talk to him, needed to get all of her feelings out to someone who wouldn't judge her. Someone who understood her.

And to top it all off, that silver mark. It was magical, there was magic written all over it. Was it, could it be… her magic? What was going on?

Finally, she saw Derrek walking towards her. He was her older brother, the only family she had really. He cared and always had her back; he would help her understand all of this craziness.

But before he could reach him, darkness covered the land and Bernadette's eyes closed. Was she waking up, was this the end of a dream?

* * *

**I am so sorry about bringing Derek back for two seconds. It was an evil last minute thought. So yes, in this alternate world, Bernadette is married to Benjamin, with two almost three kids. She's not a hero or a villain, she is normal. But not with her True Love. I also think it is interesting that she chose a side, unlike in the real version she only teamed up with Snow and Charming because she was going to get something out of it. and yes, her magic mark on Baelfire doesn't go away. **

**Reviews?**


	31. It's always been you

**I do not own Once Upon a Time**

**So is everyone safe? Maybe.**

* * *

Amelia Hunter slowly opened her eyes; she was on the floor of the Storybrooke library. She was home, someone had saved them. It had to have been Emma. The Savior always came through.

Neal…

She bolted off of the floor, where was he?

"Amelia?" She heard her name a few feet away. She turned around and saw Neal standing there. No more words were needed. Amelia ran to him, throwing her arms around him. Neal picked her up, her legs wrapped instantly around his waist. They didn't kiss, they just held on each other like their lives depended on it.

Then Neal's knees buckled and he fell into a chair that just seemed to appear behind him. He loved her, all of her. Her sense of pride, her strength, her snarky ways, her protectiveness, her magic, the way she loved him. And he knew she fully returned his feelings.

"It's you, it's always been you." Now she began to whisper in his ear and kept repeating it over and over. Her voice was broken sobs. Her face was buried in his neck. Neal just rocked her until she stopped shaking.

It took a few minutes but she did draw her face up to meet his. He wiped the tears from her face. "It's always been you. In any messed up version of reality or drug induced dream or any place or time. It will always be you." She smiled down at him.

"I love you so much, maybe more than words alone can say." Neal whispered back. He then looked down at her currently flat stomach. "You looked beautiful." His hand rested protectively there.

"I felt like a fat whale." Amelia did like the idea of having a child, but the idea of being big when she wasn't with her True Love wasn't right.

"You were beautiful, just like in my dreams." And Neal finally drew her in for a much needed kiss.

Amelia just enjoyed the moment then slightly pulled back. "I don't want to wait. I want to get married sooner rather than later. Before something else horrible happens. I have had drug induced dreams and alternate realities where I'm married to someone else and have their children. I want it, need it to be you."

Neal smiled. "Why does it take almost losing each other to make big decisions?"

"Because I am crazy." Neal nodded in agreement and received a light tap on the arm. "I want the ceremony at the convent with all our family and friends then the party at banquet hall. Marian and Jordan as my bridal party…"

"Along with Nathan and Henry. Color scheme?" Neal chimed in.

"Navy, of course."

"Who's walking you down the aisle?"

"Michael. How is that even a question? Of course I would really want Derek, but that is not happening."

"Michael would be honored. Are you taking my name?"

Amelia looked at him thoughtful. She hadn't really thought about it. "Yes, I guess so. I don't have any personal connection to Hunter. Where did you come up with the name Cassidy anyway?"

Neal looked slightly guilty. "Neal Cassidy was a major figure of the beat generation in the 1960s. And he was a thief at one point in his life."

"Well. After hearing that… I'm sticking with Hunter." Amelia said getting out of his lap, she was somehow able to keep a straight face. Neal reacted instantly, grabbing her, kissing her neck enough to make her moan softly. "Great, I go from a hunter to a thief."

"You love this thief though." He whispered.

"Yes, I do." Amelia responded, planting a passionate kiss on his lips.

* * *

Amelia and Neal walked into Granny's twenty minutes later to see their friends and family. Granny's seemed to have become the place to gather after defeating the most recent villain.

Amelia spotted Henry first, he was who she had to talk to the most. He knew this and met her halfway. She pulled him into a tight hug. "You were right; content is not the same as happy. You're very smart, you know that?" She whispered.

"Thanks, I get that a lot." He smiled even after she kissed his head.

Then they rejoined the group. "Now that we are all back to normal, Amelia what were you in the messed version?" Emma asked, who was cuddled under Killian's arm. She had never looked so peaceful.

"I was married, barefoot and pregnant with my third child…" Amelia answered.

"That doesn't sound horrible. I was a horrible person…" Mary Margaret began to say.

"I wasn't the father." Neal cut in.

"Oh." Mary Margaret understood.

"Who was the father then?" Killian asked curiously.

"Benjamin." Amelia named her very first love. "Emma, where were you all this craziness?"

"I was locked up in a tower but unlike everyone one, I remembered everything. Henry and Killian had to break me out…"

"Killian was sad." Henry said.

"Sad? What do you mean?" Neal asked.

"I was a deckhand for Black Beard's crew. A coward and wouldn't pick up a sword. Also, I was allergic to rum." Killian answered his question. Amelia bit back a laugh.

Emma got back to her story. "We had to find Regina. My parents were no help, especially after Dad killed Killian for protecting me…"

It was a good thing that Amelia wasn't drinking at the moment, she would have spit it all out. "David killed him?"

"I said I was sorry." David looked guilty.

"I plan on hanging this over his head for the rest of his life." Killian said jokingly. At least he could laugh about it now.

"So how did you save us this time, Savior?" Amelia asked. She used Emma's title not as a joke but in complete respect.

"I didn't do much this time. It was more Henry than anyone. He's the author now. Henry undid everything Isaac wrote for us." Emma said her arm around her son, her hero.

Amelia looked at Henry, feeling very proud. Of course he was a hero, look at his whole family. "Wait, where is Isaac?"

"We caught him trying to fleeing the town. He's now in the cell in the basement of the hospital. We don't expect him to get many visitors." David told them, Mary Margaret nodded next to him.

"It took you two long enough to get here." Regina observed.

"We were wedding planning; you are all invited." Amelia said honestly. Never in a million years would she think she would be inviting Snow White, Prince Charming, the Evil Queen and Captain Hook to her wedding. Actually, she never thought she would have a wedding.

"I would be highly insulted if we weren't." David said.

* * *

Not much later, they were snuggled in a booth with a plate of French fries. Amelia wouldn't let Neal out of arm's reach, she couldn't lose him again. He held a French fry to her lips.

"I'm not eating for two anymore. You can calm down." But she did eat it. Then something from their alternate chapter came back to her. "You flirted with a married woman." She teased him.

"A married woman who is my True Love. Even though neither of us knew it, I had a feeling. I am not some people." Neal's hand tightened around her waist.

"No, you are certainly not." Amelia turned her head and gently kissed his cheek.

"So small or big wedding?" Neal asked.

"Well, I would like to invite all of our family and friends…" Amelia began to say.

"Big, because that is about half the town…" Neal responded. He would have said more if the door to the diner hadn't flung open.

"Rumple is dying!" Belle ran into the diner completely out of breath. Neal moved in the booth. He had no idea what to do, but there had to be something. When no one else seemed to move, she yelled. "You have to do something! You can't just let him die!"

"That's beyond my skills." Regina shook her head. As much as she hated Gold, he was her son's grandfather.

"We need someone more powerful, like the apprentice." Emma said thoughtfully.

Amelia bit the bullet and decided to be the bigger person. "I know where he lives. Meet you at the pawn shop?"

Belle nodded and everyone took off in the direction of the pawn shop. Amelia, on the other hand, went off elsewhere.

A few feet away, the group heard her say, "Why am I walking?" And Amelia disappeared into a puff of yellow smoke.

"Okay, now she is just showing off." Neal said under his breath.

* * *

**I know, we can't just let Gold die. He's family. **

**Reviews? **


	32. She lied

**I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Well, fans we have reached the end of this story. It has been a wonderful ride full of twists and turns, but mostly there is love and family. Enjoy.**

* * *

Amelia reappeared at the apprentice's door and gave it three loud knocks.

It opened and the apprentice looked slightly confused. "What did you do now?" He asked

"I didn't do anything." Amelia sounded slightly insulted. "Gold is dying; the darkness is taking over. Can you do anything?"

"You don't seem like one who cared about him." The apprentice got his coat.

"Well, Gold is…" She made a gagging noise. "Family." She was still getting used to that word when it came to him. "You can't pick your family… wait in this case, I could have." She was getting off topic. "Can you save him?"

"Yes. Do you want me to?" He stared at her hard.

Did she want Gold to live? Not really, not after his most recent action. But she loved Neal and Gold was Neal's father. Besides, she never knew, having the Dark One on your side might not be a bad thing. "Yes, I want you to save him. Do you need anything?"

"The magical hat. We can attempt to pull the darkness out of him and safely into the hat. That should contain him…" He started to say, Amelia waved her hand and the said hat appeared in her hand. "Must you?"

"If you got it, flaunt it." Amelia shrugged her shoulders. "Ready to go?"

"Yes." The apprentice answered, closing the door behind him. Amelia snapped her fingers.

* * *

Gold was on the floor of the shop, Belle knelt next to him along with Neal. Everyone else was standing around, unsure how to feel at the current moment.

They saw a cloud of yellow smoke outside the front window and Amelia and the apprentice walked in.

It seemed they were in the middle of a conversation. "I do not abuse my magic." She almost pouted.

He would have responded as would have Neal. But there were bigger issues at hand right now. The apprentice knelt down and pulled Gold's heart out of his chest. It was almost completely black, there was the tiniest bit of red. If they didn't act quickly, Gold would be gone and there would just be the Dark One. And no one wanted to deal with strictly with that.

The apprentice held the heart in one hand while the other one had the magical hat. "I could use some assistance…" He looked around the room. When neither Regina nor Emma moved, he handed the heart to unprepared Amelia and began to say the magic words.

A shocked Amelia stared down at the black mass in her hand that passed for Gold's heart. Yes, she wanted him to live, but that was because she assumed she would just watch and not be involved. This changed everything. Amelia held his life in her hand, the power was undeniable. She could crush it so easily. Make him pay for all the pain he had caused her and Neal. For the pain he had caused everyone in the room. She could do it. She felt her eyes turn yellow and her hand began to slightly glow.

"Amelia." She heard her name and she locked eyes with Neal. He didn't say it as a warning or out of terror. It was gentle and reassuring. There was pure love and acceptance in his brown eyes. He trusted her with all his heart, he was her True Love, her everything. Only he could pull her back from the darkness that she found herself in. And Amelia would be eternally grateful. Maybe she would be okay with the rainy day story.

Her grip on Gold's heart relaxed and she put herself in the moment. She along with everyone else watched in amazement as the darkness transferred from the heart into the safety of the hat. It was slowly becoming bright red as it was supposed to be all along. Then a noise hit her ears that turned her blood cold.

Humming, very familiar humming.

Amelia whirled around to see Blinky hovering with an open portal behind her. Before she could scream, all the darkness that had been transferring to the hat now took a new direction, into the portal, into a different realm.

Blinky noticed Amelia's panic and closed up the portal. But enough darkness had gone through. There was still a tiny bit left in Gold's heart. Suddenly the hat deflated, as if it had given up its mission.

"I can contain the rest of this, it won't kill him." Amelia told them all. How she was able to fake calm was beyond her. Her hand moved over it, the reminder of darkness was surrounded by her magic and trapped in its current amount. Then she looked at the apprentice.

"You can put it back in." He gave her the go ahead.

Amelia paused. "Has anyone here ever put a heart back in?"

"You just shove it in." Emma told her. "Can't be much different than a voice."

Amelia knelt down next to Gold's body and took a deep breath before plunging the heart back into his chest.

The next few seconds felt like hours, but Gold took a large breath.

Amelia stood up. "Your face should be the first one he sees, not mine." She told Belle.

Gold opened his eyes and looked around confused. He began to ask questions. But Amelia heard none of it. She just stared at the area the portal had been.

"Amelia, where did the darkness go?" David asked.

"Another realm." The apprentice answered for her.

"Do we have to worry?" Regina asked.

Amelia Hunter turned to face the group; there was a tight smile on her face. "No, no reason to worry."

She lied.

* * *

**She lied… cue the evil laugh now.**

**I love ending stories with an "Oh crap" title. This one might take the cake. Yes, I am going very off script, there is no Dark Emma or Underworld, but I'll try to make up for it with a worse Dark One and the Underworld... well, don't worry. Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews. The story "Flaws Stitched Together with Good Intentions" will be up January 1st. Or January 1st ish. It's the holiday and I will be up late partying and such. **

**Reviews?**

**On a different front, I have yet another story in the works. This one is solely going to be on my tumblr page. It's the "Untold Tales: The Bounty Hunter". Just picture the Bernadette at the end of "People Like Me Don't Deserve Happy Endings" thrown into the drama of season 6. Fun times, kind of. More word on that when I finish it.**


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